For the first time during his months-long rehabilitation stint for his left ACL, Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose spoke Monday about his status...and for Bulls fans, it's not good news.
The former 2010-11 league MVP told the press Monday that he was "far away" from returning to NBA action and he would not be returning before he was sure that he could perform to the standards that have come to be expected of the sensational superstar.
"I don't have a set date," Rose told USA TODAY Sports. "I'm not coming back until I'm 110%. Who knows when that can be? It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be any time. It's just that I'm not coming back until I'm ready."
When asked about how close he was to that 110 percent goal, Rose answered, "Right now, probably in the high 80s. Far away. Far away."
The Bulls have stated previously in the season that they were not rushing Rose back, as he is their most important piece in their championship-aspiring puzzle, but Rose's statement left questions in the air as to whether he will be returning at some time this season, as Bulls management has predicted that he would.
According to ESPN, Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said he doesn't want to take the same risk he did with Hall of Famer and former Bulls star Michael Jordan, who broke a bone in his foot in his second season. Jordan returned without any further complications, but Reinsdorf said he won't take that risk with Rose.
February 28 will mark the 10-month mark from when Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Rose's injury in the final minutes of the game proved to be devastating for the No.1-seeded Bulls, who won that game but ended up losing the series to the eight-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, four games to two.
Even without Rose, the Bulls have been very good, their 30-21 win-loss record only a half-game behind the division-leading Indiana Pacers in the Central Division. However, the addition of Rose would make Chicago a championship contender that could pose a serious threat to LeBron James and the reigning NBA world champion Miami Heat.
Regardless, Rose is continuing his pace to return to game form, noting that he has gained 10 to 11 pounds of muscle and is able to do things that he had never been able to do even before the injury thanks to the relentless training regimen.
"I don't know what type of player I'm going to be. I just know that I'm going to be very good," he said.