NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose ‘looks great,’ wants to play for Team USA
The Chicago Bulls have gone down this road before, but Derrick Rose is ready to go, according to general manager Gar Forman.
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Rose will be coming back from a torn meniscus which required season-ending surgery 10 games into his comeback after missing the entire 2012-2013 season after tearing his ACL in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Bulls have said earlier in the offseason that if the regular season started today, that the youngest MVP in NBA history would be fully healthy and all indications are that he will participate in USA Basketball’s minicamp at the end of July.
“All indications have been that he would participate,” general manager Gar Forman said. “We’ll visit with him in the next couple of days. From a physical standpoint, he’s doing terrific. Like we mentioned, he’s playing 5-on-5. He hasn’t skipped any steps. And there’s been progress the whole way. He looks ready to go.”
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau shared the same optimism as Forman and breaks down the step-by-step process that Rose will need to accomplish to play for USA Basketball, which is what he wants to do.
“It’s not anything different from what we’ve said all along. If he’s ready to go, he’s going. He wants to go. That’s what he has told me. That’s what he has told USA Basketball,” Thibodeau said. “But it’s a step-by-step process. He’s coming along fine. The next step is to participate in summer league (practices). If that goes well, he goes to USA. If that goes well, he’ll play in those games. That’s the way we’re approaching it. From what we’re seeing, he’s making good steady progress. He looks great.”
The Bulls and their fans are hoping Forman and Thibodeau will be saying the same come next spring for the All-Star point guard who has a considerable amount of rust to knock off after back-to-back injuries to his knees have resulted in his playing 10 games in three years.