Derrick Rose: Bulls teammates hope for a return this season

Oct 31, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) on the bench during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Cleveland won 114-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) on the bench during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Cleveland won 114-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The often-injured Bulls point guard suffered a tear of his meniscus in his right knee for the second straight year.


For Bulls fans, it’s time for them to check their calendars and carefully look up to see who controls both parties of Congress. Followers of the Bulls were left with a bit of déjà vu today when news came out that Derrick Rose would be undergoing surgery for re-injuring the same knee for the second straight season.

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This injury could easily take Rose out for the year again, but within the Bulls organization that sentiment is not shared.

From ESPN:

"The Chicago Bulls are holding out hope that Derrick Rose can return to the floor at some point this season.The internal hope for his teammates is that Rose will be able to come back and try and help lead the Bulls to an NBA championship.“I think we’re all optimistic about it,” [Bulls guard Jimmy] Butler said, when asked about the possibility of Rose returning this year. “We want him back and I’m sure he’s going to try and get back as soon as possible.”"

Since tearing his ACL in Game 1 of the first round against Philadelphia in 2012, Derrick Rose has played in 56 of a possible 242 games for the Bulls. 46 of those games have occurred during this season. During the games in which he has been back, Rose played without his signature burst and explosion, drove more timidly and relied on an uncertain jump shot.

The promise of a return was not without precedent. Adidas released this commerical in anticipation of the end of Rose’s rehabilitation in 2012-13.

Rose didn’t play that season.

Last year, this same injury occurred 11 games into the season, and up through the Bulls’ short playoff run the hope for a Rose return was palpable. But despite the speculation and the vague statements from both Rose and the Bulls, the return never happened and the Bulls lost to the Wizards in the first round.

These tragic injuries to Derrick Rose inspire the hope for a storybook comeback: Rose silences all the doubters by returning to form on the biggest stage in the NBA. Rose has shown high commitment and character, and in return most fans have given him patience.

But this season, it’s impossible to buy into a Rose comeback. The idea of emphasizing the comeback puts pressure on Rose to rush back into the lineup and perform in his older fashion. That pressure led to him re-aggravating his injury, which in turn led to even more pressure to come back.

At this point, it may be too late for fans to stop hoping.

[H/T: ESPN]

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