Derrick Rose took the final step in his return from his ACL tear as doctors have cleared him to play. At first this was looked at as a sign of hope for the Bulls season, with the team sitting in the fifth seed currently looking to play the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs.
But Rose hasn't played a game yet.
Rose has been videotaped dunking off each foot, but more casually than he would during a game. A source said that although he has been practicing and scrimmaging hard, he told the Bulls that until he feels "in his mind" he can confidently dunk off his left foot in a game situation, he is not 100 percent mentally ready to return to competition.
But head coach Tom Thibodeau put the brakes on Rose's return.
"We'll see when he's ready," Thibodeau said. "He's getting there. He's not quite there yet."
Here's the problem. The Bulls are averaging 94.7 points per 100 possesions, which ranks last in the league, even behind the Bobcats. Their highest scorer is Deng at about 16 ppg, and Kirk Hinrich is the teams leader is assists. The Eastern conference is extremely top-heavy this year as well.
If the playoffs started today, the Brooklyn Nets wouldn't have a lot of trouble handling the Bulls. Deron Williams would easily burn Kirk Hinrich, and the trio of Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, and Gerald Wallace outmatches Chicago's front court. The Pacers and Celtics look to both be very tough in the postseason. New York is inconsistent, but with the year they've been having it wouldn't be a stretch to assume the Knicks could make it to the conference finals. And then there's the Heat. Miami is the best team in the league, having a top five defense along with their transition game and plethora of three-point shooters.
Now let's look at Rose's injuries over the past few years.
- Rolled ankle, 2009- one month
- broken toe, 2012- ten games
- back spasms, 2012- seven games
- groin strain, 2012- twelve games
- sprained ankle, 2012- four games
- right foot trouble, 2012- ten games
- ACL tear, 2012- over a year
That is a lot of injuries for a 24-year old franchise player that a team just signed to a five year deal. The problem is that these aren't just random freak accidents. Orthopedic surgeons have said that due to Rose's play style and body type that these injuries are related.
Bulls fans may want to cover their ears for this: the Bulls won't win the championship this season. The east is too talented, let alone San Antonio and OKC. The Bulls have an aging team that can play defense, but struggle mightily scoring the ball even against weak opponents. Derrick Rose is the future of Chicago basketball, injury prone or not. It would be in his and the teams best interest just to rehab himself until he is completely one hundred percent mentally and physically. It's not worth risking another major injury for a lost season for the Bulls.
-Wyatt Smith, Sports Editor, Clickege Media Inc.
