Derrick Rose: I’m Not Coming Back Until I’m 110 Percent
By Josh Hill
Less than a year ago, Chicago Bulls fans had their souls sucked out when star MVP point guard Derrick Rose tore his ACL. The city basically died and it’s only now recovering from the low point it hit in May when their worst fears were confirmed: Chicago’s golden child would be out until at least February recovering from surgery.
But as we approach Rose’s eventual comeback, the question still remains, when exactly will Derrick Rose make his triumphant return to the court?
“I’m not coming back until I’m 110%,” Derrick Rose told USA Today. “Who knows when that can be?”
That’s not exactly what Bulls fans are wanting to hear, and already they’re trying to spin it in a way that makes it sound like Rose was simply misquoted. But the plan from the start has been to rest Derrick Rose as long as humanly possible, as the city of Chicago can’t suffer another devastating blow like it endured back in the spring of 2012.
However, while Bulls fans, writers, fellow players and personnel are under the impression Rose will be back after the All-Star Break, Rose is saying he’s still “far, far away” from returning to the court.
“It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be any time,” Rose said. “It’s just that I’m not coming back until I’m ready. With all the hard work I’ve been putting into my craft, I think I’m going to be OK.”
This raises serious cause for concern. Rose is almost completely physically healed from his injuries yet he’s saying he’s not close to actually returning. The unfortunate suggestion this makes is that Rose’s confidence has been shattered and he’s not only rehabbing his ACL, but he’s rehabbing his confidence as well.
One of the things that makes Rose unstoppable is his clutch, and the ice water that flows through his veins when the game is on the line. But if Rose is too timid to return from his injury, the implication is that more than just his ACL has been seriously injured. However, while Rose is saying he’s not close to returning, he did go out of his way to mention he’s gained 11 pounds of muscle and feels he’s going to be better than ever.
“With all this hard work I’ve been putting into my game, I’m doing stuff I never did before,” he said. “I gained 10, 11 pounds of muscle. I don’t know what type of player I’m going to be. I just know that I’m going to be very good.”
The waiting is the hardest part, but even if Rose isn’t going to return anytime soon it’s becoming more and more apparent that when he does come back, he’s going to do so with a fury that hasn’t been seen in the NBA for quite some time.