Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose met the media on Thursday afternoon and said that he was not going to rule out returning during the playoffs. When the Bulls announced their superstar had surgery to repair his torn right medial meniscus, they said he would be out for the year.
NBA news roundup: Derrick Rose won’t rule out returning this year
Bulls superstar Derrick Rose will not completely dismiss the possibility of participating in the playoffs this season. Also, Celtics boss Danny Ainge says Rajon Rondo will likely be out a while longer and Carmelo Anthony says he hasn’t started packing his bags.
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Rose sounded positive throughout the presser. He said that he wouldn’t change his style of play, his story was far from over and he was finally feeling like himself again before the injury, which made it “heartbreaking.” The best part of it, though? His response when asked about doubters, via ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell:
Asked how he would respond to those who question whether he can still be a franchise cornerstone, Rose said after a 10-second pause: “You can be a fool if you want to. Dead serious. I know I’m going to be all right. I believe that I’m a special player.”
Rose also responded, “oh, hell, no,” when asked if winning a championship was farther down his priority list now, adding that, “you can have all the awards, you can have all the individual stuff, I think that my career is going to be judged by championships.”
Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said that he does not expect point guard Rajon Rondo to make his return to the court in the next few weeks. Appearing on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich show on Thursday morning, Ainge said that the team was being cautious with Rondo and that he wouldn't be back in the lineup until his knee strength was back to 100 percent. Rondo has been practicing with the Celtics, but has not been cleared to play 5-on-5. He is scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews in the next few days.
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony denied on Thursday that he was already looking forward to leaving New York. ESPN's Steven A. Smith said on his radio show (after the 14:00 mark) that he'd heard Anthony had his mind made up and he was "gone." At Knicks shootaround, Anthony said that he doesn't talk to anybody about his future plans, so he's not sure where Smith is getting his information. Anthony can opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and become a free agent.
Michael Carter-Williams is day-to-day with sore knee
Philadelphia 76ers rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams banged knees with an opponent during Philadelphia’s 126-125 double-overtime win against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday and didn’t accompany the team to Charlotte for Friday night’s game against the Bobcats, via Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports. He sat out of practice with knee soreness on Thursday and has received treatment to reduce swelling over the past two days, via CSN Philly’s Dei Lynam. Carter-Williams played through the pain against Orlando and logged over 46 minutes, finishing with a 27-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple double. The Sixers wiill host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
Jeremy Lin feels "much better" but has no update on timetable
Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin had his first shooting session since spraining and bruising his right knee on Thursday and said he feels "much better," via the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. He added, though, that he has not started running or cutting and doesn't know when he will be back. The injury occurred last Wednesday in a collision with Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap. At the time he was said to be sidelined for two to three weeks. On Thursday he said he wasn't worried that it would be longer than that but didn't want to put a timetable on it.
Kendall Marshall shines in first game with D-League's 87ers
Former Phoenix Suns point guard Kendall Marshall had a hell of a debut for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League on Thursday afternoon. He came this close to a triple double, finishing with 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Marshall shot 11-for-18 from the field and 5-for-9 from behind the three-point line, displaying a jump shot that looks improved from last season in Phoenix. As you probably guessed, the 87ers are the affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers and they are the D-League's newest team.
Warriors waive Dewayne Dedmon
The Golden State Warriors waived center Dewayne Dedmon, the team announced on Thursday. Dedmon, once the subject of an excellent Sports Illustrated profile, was called up from the Santa Cruz Warriors, their D-League affiliate, two and a half weeks ago. Dedmon didn't play meaningful minutes for Golden State, appearing in four games for a total of six minutes. He was sent down to Santa Cruz on assignment on Nov. 24 and had 23 points and 14 rebounds against the Austin Toros. Golden State now has one open roster spot.
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