Rare heir: Derrick Rose is one of a kind. Much the way Michael Jordan was. | AP

You don't have to be a scientist to see Derrick Rose is a heck of a basketball player.

It might help a bit, though.

Just ask John Brenkus, creator and host of "Sport Science" on ESPN. Among his findings:

† Rose's oncourt speed can reach 20 mph — meaning he could break the record for baseline to baseline dribbling by one-tenth of a second.

† Rose can rotate at 900 degrees per second.

† Rose's 35-inch vertical leap is 7 inches greater than the NBA average.

† Rose's ability to cut and stop gives him the potential to be a real ankle-breaker because of the force involved.

"There are guys who have a greater vertical leap," Brenkus told Quick Hits. "You don't have to have a 40-inch vertical leap to do the things he does. The argument we're making is he's the perfect size to be fast, the perfect size to be able to stop on a dime. He's the perfect size to have enough of a vertical leap that it allows him plenty of time to do whatever he needs to do in the air.

"He has the elements that when put together, they create an unstoppable force."

And then there are the unmeasurables.

"By far, the biggest unmeasurable is sheer will," Brenkus said. "Champions hate losing more than they like winning. That's 
really what separates champions from the rest of us."

As for comparisons to a guy whose statue resides outside the United Center?

"Check back with me in 10 years," Brenkus said, "and I'll tell you if he's as good as Michael Jordan."