There are several reports that LeBron James could be headed to Chicago. But can LeBron coexist with Bull star Derrick Rose? (US PRESSWIRE)

LeBron James has been rumored to sign with the Chicago Bulls for a few weeks now, which has many Bulls fans thinking championship if those rumors come to fruition.

But not all are enamored with James joining forces with the Bulls’ young star in Derrick Rose.

Stephen Bardo, a former starting guard at the University of Illinois and part of Lou Henson’s Illini squad that reached the Final Four in 1989, is among those skeptics and isn’t sold on a James-Rose partnership with the Bulls.

On the court, Bardo says James will impede the progress of Rose because the two-time NBA MVP dominates the ball on offense and doesn’t quite know how to play well without the ball at this stage of his career. Off the court, James’ larger-than-life persona will ultimately overshadow Rose, a Chicago native, who is more of a reluctant superstar.

“It will kill Derrick Rose if the Bulls bring in LeBron James,” Bardo said on ESPN’s First Take Monday.

Bardo reasons that Rose is not a spot-up shooter, much like the way Cleveland has used Mo Williams the past two seasons. Rose is a classic “pounder,” which means he makes all his plays off the dribble and relies on his ball-handling to break down the defense. Rose and James are essentially the same player, and their one-on-one games simply don’t blend well. Both like to run isolation plays at the top of the key and both are accustomed to being the focal point of the offense.

What Bardo says is very true because James has not proven in his seven seasons in the league that he is comfortable at posting up and waiting for his guards to deliver him the ball. He might do it in the first quarter, but when the game progresses James reverts back to his old habits, which is forcing the action off the 1-4 set.

The 1-4 isolation set is also Rose’s favorite play, and has become really good at it. Bardo’s point is that there are only so many possessions in a basketball game and if both your superstar players have to fight for the same spot in the floor, the spacing becomes congested and the ball movement is stymied. This is equivalent to having two centers on the floor at the same time. Both will run into each other in the low block.

So, in theory, having James and Rose on one team appears like a good marriage. But in reality, there could be chemistry issues on the court.

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Whether or not Derrick Rose’s injured ankle is the main reason for his slow start, the reigning Rookie of the Year looks a bit timid and does not appear to be the same player who tore up the Celtics in the playoffs.

Rose has been bothered by an inflamed tendon behind his right ankle, a major discomfort that caused him to miss a huge portion of training camp and the preseason. This is supposed to be the year when Rose makes that full leap from budding star to superstar. Through 15 games, Rose’s numbers have been pedestrian: 15.6 points per game, 5.2 assists and 46% from the field.

A season ago when he was racking up some hardware, as well as accolades, Rose averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists in leading the Bulls to the playoffs.

Is Derrick Rose in a sophomore slump? So far, the numbers don't lie. (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES)

Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro is also monitoring Rose’s minutes. The Bulls point guard is playing close to 34 minutes a game, compared to 36 the previous season.

During the offseason, Rose hired Rob McClanaghan as his personal shooting coach to fix his inconsistent jump shot. So far, the 5,000 or so long-range shots Rose reportedly exhausted throughout the summer have not paid off as he’s making just a paltry 16.7% of threes. For those who are keeping track, that’s 1-for-6 for the season.

Because Rose can’t push off on his right foot, his quickness is compromised and he can’t attack the basket the same way he did a year ago. And as much as he’s worked on his mid-range game, it is still not good enough to pull the defense out of the paint.

With Ben Gordon now in Detroit, the Bulls have too many drivers and not enough passengers. Rose wants to drive, John Salmons wants to drive, Luol Deng wants to drive, Tyrus Thomas wants to drive and Kirk Hinrich is more of a facilitator than a scoring guard.

No wonder the Bulls are having a hard time scoring. They are averaging 91.4 per game (27th) and shooting 43.3% (27th).

The Rose-Gordon backcourt worked because Rose can always kick it out to Gordon on his dribble penetration and Gordon’s unlimited shooting range keeps the court balanced and masks the Bulls’ lack of a low-post threat. Without a legitimate shooter on the roster, the scouting report on the Bulls is this: pack the paint and let them beat you from the outside.

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OneManFastBreak.net lists the second- and third-year players who will make the jump from above-average player to budding superstar.

KEVIN DURANT, Oklahoma City Thunder, Forward
Mark this down: Kevin Durant will be in the 2009 All-Star Game in Dallas, and he won’t be playing on All-Star Saturday Night. He’ll be playing in the big game on Sunday. If not, then there is something very wrong with the current system. This season’s All-Star Game, which will be played in spacious Texas Stadium, will be a homecoming of sorts for the 21-year-old small forward since he played at the University of Texas. In his second NBA season, Durant averaged 25.3 points per game. When he won Rookie of the Year in 2008, he averaged 20.3. Expect Durant to hit the 25-point mark again in year three of his young pro career.

Expect Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant to challenge for the regular-season scoring title.

DERRICK ROSE, Chicago Bulls, Guard
This is a no-brainer. Rose is the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and had a coming-out party during the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Boston Celtics. Now that Ben Gordon is gone, Rose will be asked to do a little more scoring this year, as well as organize Vinny Del Negro’s offense. Last season, Rose averaged 16 points a game and 6 assists.

O.J. MAYO, Memphis Grizzlies, Guard
Mayo was arguably the top rookie of the first half of the regular season in 2008-09. But he hit somewhat of wall in the second half and Rose surpassed him in the voting. But Mayo – who averaged 18 points a game in 82 games as a rookie – is a talented young player with a skill set built for the long haul, and I anticipate the former USC star to be THE star for the Griz.

AARON BROOKS, Houston Rockets, Guard
The third-year point guard out of Oregon will be asked to run the show in Houston now that Yao Ming is sidelined with a career-threatening injury and Ron Artest is now in Los Angeles. Brooks burst into the spotlight during the 2009 playoffs, giving the Lakers’ guards fits in a hotly contested seven-game series. Head coach Rick Adelman believed in Brooks so much that Houston traded away starting PG Rafer Alston to Orlando last season, handing the keys to the franchise to the 5-11 lightning-quick guard with a deadly outside shot.

BROOK LOPEZ, New Jersey Nets, Center
With Lopez and Devin Harris, the Nets have nice 1-2 punch at center and point guard despite the loss of Vince Carter, who departed for Orlando. Lopez (7-0, 260) is a legit center with a legit post-up game. He has a nice jump hook going to his right and can barrel his way to the basket when forced to his left. Not many NBA centers have a second move so Lopez is already ahead of the game.

KEVIN LOVE, Minnesota Timberwolves, Forward
K-Love may not excite anyone with his game but his fundamentals are off the charts when it comes to playing the power forward position. He has excellent hands, which allows him to catch any pass thrown to him, be able to rip rebounds away from the opposition and throw those Unseld-like outlet passes. During his rookie season, he averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds so expect those numbers to go up with one year under his belt.

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New Orleans' Chris Paul (left) has overtaken Phoenix's Steve Nash as the top playmaker in the NBA. (NBA Entertainment/Getty Images)

For someone who plays very little defense and makes crucial mistakes in late-game situations, Steve Nash is still rated very high among his peers. He was twice voted league MVP despite not making it to the NBA Finals. He’s the only two-time MVP without a Finals appearance. Even softy Dirk Nowitzki made it to the Finals. For some reason, the Nash Hype machine spread like wildfire during his first three seasons in Phoenix. Now, Nash is being exposed for what he truly is. A very good point guard, but not a top-five point guard.

OneManFastbreak.net rates the top 10 points guards in the NBA:

1) CHRIS PAUL, New Orleans Hornets: His 21-4-11-2 line was scary good. Now, he has James Posey to lean on for some playoff wisdom. CP3 is the modern-day Isiah Thomas. He can change the game by himself. The only thing that is keeping Paul from being a complete player is outside shooting. He’s gotten better but you can still sag off him.

2) DERON WILLIAMS, Utah Jazz: He’s Jason Kidd with range. Williams can play fast or slow and Coach Jerry Sloan loves the way he runs his offense. D-Will has the entire package. He can drive, he can hit the 3 and get his teammates easy shots. He’s one of the few PGs who can score 20 points and get 10 assists.

3) DERRICK ROSE, Chicago Bulls: D-Rose became a star during the first round of the 2009 NBA playoffs in an epic series against the Boston Celtics. In his first NBA postseason game, Rose scored 36 points in Boston. Rose combines great handles with a fearless attitude. If he improves his mid-range game, he should move up on this list. Rose and Westbrook are the best end-to-end PGs in the Association.

4) RAJON RONDO, Boston Celtics: The 6-1 guard from Kentucky was arguably the Celtics’ best player during the 2010 NBA playoffs. Rondo is a unique point guard because he rebounds extremely well and has an array of shots when he gets close to the basket. He’s also one of the best off-the-ball defenders in the league.

5) TONY PARKER, San Antonio Spurs: Frenchy is the only member of the San Antonio Spurs who doesn’t need to invest in retirement funds. The MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals is still one of the quickest players in the league and his marriage to Eva Longoria automatically puts him on this list.

6) CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, Denver Nuggets: One of just two guys on this list that has a championship ring. Mr. Big Shot may have slowed down with age but he’s still a top-10 guy in my book. Carmelo Anthony will greatly benefit from the trade now that Billups is running the show in Denver.

7) STEVE NASH, Phoenix Suns: Some would say this list is “whack” for having the great Steve Nash No. 6. Well, the Great Nash is very good but not great. He’s a bit overrated. He’s a liability on defense and, for someone who is considered by many as the smartest point guard in the league, he makes a lot of mistakes in crucial situations.

8) RUSSELL WESTBROOK, Oklahoma City Thunder: Westbrook’s coming out party occurred in the 2010 NBA playoffs when he lit up the L.A. Lakers in the first round. Westbrook is one of the best finishers in the league and attacks the rim like a wing player. The scary part about Westbrook is that he’s still learning his position.

9) BARON DAVIS, Los Angeles Clippers: When healthy, no point guard in the league has the skill set B-Diddy has. At 6-3, 200 pounds, he is a matchup problem for little guards and big guards. He can single-handedly win a playoff game by himself. CP3 may be a better playmaker but Boom Dizzle has a better outside shot.

10) ANDRE MILLER, Philadelphia 76ers: One of the more underrated point guards in the league. Has not gotten the recognition he deserves because he has played on some bad teams.

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