Chicago Bulls fans just got some great news. They'll just have to wait a while to enjoy it.
Doctors have cleared Chicago Bulls' star Derrick Rose to resume playing in games, but Rose is reluctant to return to the lineup until he can dunk off his left foot, according to ESPN.
The point guard had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last May. Rose has been seen doing 5-on-5 scrimmaging with the team over the last month and both sides were optimistic of his return as early as next week. The latest news is sure to provide optimism for a team that's managed to be formidable in the league despite his absence.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. We're just going day by day. He's not quite there yet." said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau when asked about Rose's return..
The Bulls have a record of 34-27, trailing the Indiana Pacers by only four games for top of the Central Division. If the playoffs were held today, the sixth-seed Bulls would face the Pacers in the first round. With false projections regarding Rose's return a regular headline, maybe a better question isn't when he's returning, but whether he should this season at all?
Rose was clearly a top 5 point guard when he went down last season, but The Miami team that easily eliminated him two years ago are not the same team, but better. Rose averaged 21 points and nearly 8 assists last season, but pundits stand by the premise that even with Derrick Rose, it would be a longshot for the Bulls to beat the Heat.
Going at full speed in a tough Eastern Conference that includes a reinvigorated Indiana Pacers and a gritty New York Knicks could increase Rose's chances of re-injuring the knee. The risk versus reward factor is why not only Rose, but the Bulls front office are taking a cautious approach to bringing him back.
"There's a lot of people that have to decide," Thibodeau said. Obviously, he's the most important piece. From (chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf) on down, everyone has to sign off on it.