CHICAGO – Their superstar is injured, their so-called "bench mob" pretty much gone and despite all that, the Chicago Bulls insist one thing hasn't changed.

They're not rolling over. The obits are premature.

The Bulls believe they still have plenty left even though Derrick Rose is expected to miss a big chunk of the season recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and most of the reserves that gave Chicago one of the NBA's deepest benches are gone. They insist they will be factors in the Eastern Conference after capturing the top seed the past two years.