Derrick Rose Return Update: Why Rose Should Sit Out the Season Despite Being Cleared to Play

It looks as though as of Friday, the only thing stopping Derrick Rose from returning to the court for the Chicago Bulls...is Derrick Rose.

ESPN Chicago reported Friday that Rose, who has been fine-tuning his surgically-repaired left ACL for the last 10 months, has been cleared to play by his doctor. The new should have fans overjoyed, except there is one small catch-Rose won't play.

At least, not until he can dunk with the same explosiveness off his left foot that helped Rose become the first Chicago Bulls player since Michael Jordan to win the league MVP award in 2010-11.

A source told ESPN that Rose's doctor has assured the team that there is no more chance of Rose getting hurt upon his return and that he has been given the green light to go. Or should he?

No one will argue the difference that Derrick Rose makes on the Bulls. They're still loaded with talent and have two very talented All-Stars, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, that have helped make the Bulls the sixth seed in the East with a 34-27 record as they are a mere four games behind Indiana for the Central Division lead. Defensively, they are one of the top three teams in the league, allowing opponents only 91.4 points per game, third lowest in the NBA.

If the season ended today, they'd have a date with Indiana in the first round of the playoffs and, despite their record's appearance, they'd be a very tough opponent to take on in the first round. But ultimately, they lack that dynamic element on offense that they'd need to go deep into the playoffs.

With Rose, however, it's a different story. With Rose, they're a title threat. They went to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat in 2010-11, and despite losing in five games to a Heat team built to win, Rose and the Bulls fought the Heat tooth and nail in each of those games, even blowing out LeBron James and company in Game 1 by a 103-82 score, Rose leading the way with 28 points and six assists for the Bulls. Had Rose not torn his left ACL during that awkward shot attempt in Game 1 of last year's playoffs, who knows how far Rose would have led the No.1-seeded Bulls with a deeper bench and a more balanced attack?

The problem is, however, there is no guarantee, even with all the work and all the careful preparation that Rose has put into his rehab over the last 10 months, that that Derrick Rose will be the one to take the court for the Bulls.

An ACL injury is one of the most difficult injuries for an athlete to recover from. With ever step, every hard move, every explosive cut to the basket, every quick step needed to guard an opposing player, there is a little bit of doubt. "Does the knee feel alright?" "How hard can I go?" "What are my limits?" "Can I still play the way I used to play?"

Not every recovery can be as successful as the NFL's Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings running back who tore his ACL in 2011 and returned last season to win the NFL MVP award. Rose has been ultra-cautious in not wanting to rush his return because he knows the risks.

"I'm not coming back until I'm 110 [percent]," Rose said in an interview last month with USA Today. "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."

Nor should he. The Bulls have been playing the entire season without Rose and have gotten familiar with their own schemes. It hasn't always been perfect, but it has worked so far. Having Rose come back now would mean that the team would have to get used to having Rose back into the offense and try and re-adjust their roles to fit around Rose just as they're heading into the playoffs. Rather than a seamless fit, chances are that with limited practice time for Rose and the team to get re-acquainted with one another, it would just cause chaos that would be more of a distraction to the Bulls and a disruption in Rose's climb back from injury.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has certainly been in no hurry to rush Rose back, having told USA Today Friday that his star point guard wasn't quite there yet.

"We'll see when he's ready," Thibodeau said. "He's getting there. He's not quite there yet."

Rose has not ruled out the possibility of sitting out the season, and really, who could fault him? It's his health, and the franchise's future, that rests on how well he can react to real game situations. A hurried rush back from surgery without the benefit of training camp or months to get used to his teammates again wouldn't help Rose or the Bulls.

It might not be the answer most fans want to hear, but in the long run, Rose and the Bulls might be better off to let Rose take the rest of the season off and let the chips fall where they may with this club, then get ready for a fully recovered and rested Rose to join the squad again for the 2013-14 season, and see just how good the Bulls with a healthy Derrick Rose really are.