Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose might be set to make his return next season, but it may take a little while before his impact on the floor is at back at full strength.
After missing one full season due to knee rehabilitation, Rose is back to reclaim his superstar status and lead the Bulls back to championship contention. However, according to Yahoo Sports NBA writer Kelly Dwyer, Rose may require more time before recapturing his feel for the game. After all, the former NBA MVP has not played a single NBA game in the last 19 months.
"It will take a while for Rose to return to NBA speed. It will take a while for his teammates - some new, and some 19 months removed from playing with him - to adjust. The Bulls, in a deeper Eastern Conference than the one Rose left in April of 2012, could struggle to adapt," Dwyer wrote.
"And then it will go away. And soon Rose will hit his stride. And soon we'll all remember what we need to be thinking about right now, as we count down the days until the league starts up again: Derrick Rose is coming back," he added.
Rose averaged 21.8 points and 7.9 assists during the 2011-2012 season and many analysts expect him to produce the same kind of numbers this coming season. However, rumors are circulating that Rose will enter the next season with a more effective jump shot, which would make him a far more dangerous threat from the perimeter.
Still, Dwyer says Rose has a difficult path ahead of him before he's back to his old self. Rose' ACL might be already intact, but it's only a small part of an ongoing process, wrote Dwyer.
"It's a long season, it's a tricky league, it's a tough game, and 19 months is a long time to be away. It's true that ACL returnees have proven to come back no worse for wear in the modern age, but the actual restructuring of the ligament is just one aspect of the recovery," Dwyer added.
Rose is scheduled to play his first NBA game in the preseason on Oct. 5 when he'll face reigning champs the Miami Heat.
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