Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose spoke to the media prior to the Bulls' 101-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, the first time he's talked publicly since undergoing surgery on a torn right meniscus that's expected to keep him out four to six weeks. The Bulls say they expect their star point guard back this season and Rose reiterated that "that's the plan," although he refused to give a specific timetable on a return.
Derrick Rose says he plans to return this season from knee injury
Rose wouldn’t give a definitive answer about returning this season from a torn meniscus, but he’s optimistic about his chances.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
That Rose didn’t explicitly state that he was coming back this season -- and even said “Who cares?” when asked about the Bulls giving him a timetable to return -- has already drawn criticism. Some point to recent PR mishaps and Rose not coming back in 2013 despite being cleared to play following ACL surgery as reason to be skeptical this time around.
But while Rose was non-committal, all indications are he’ll be back this season:
Rose's lack of a definitive public commitment to playing this season contrasts with what he has been saying privately.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 9, 2015 Rose said that he’s “killing” his rehab. He talked about how he was anxious to get the torn section of the meniscus out of his knee after opting to have that same meniscus repaired last season in an effort to prolong his career:
“It was all about getting back on the court. It was something they had to take out. At the time, I really didn’t care. I wasn’t worried about the future. I didn’t think that far ahead. I just wanted it out. Be able to walk right, and get to rehab right away.”
That sounds like a guy ready to play this season, even if he wouldn’t come out and say it.
More interesting than anything Rose said about his return was the suggestion that he played through the injury for about a month. Specifically, he said the injury may have happened on January 27 against the Golden State Warriors, when he logged 43 minutes and hit the game-winning shot in overtime.
Perhaps the injury contributed to some of Rose’s inconsistencies. In the 10 games between the Warriors game and the surgery, he shot 37.7 percent overall and 18 percent from the three. In his last game before the surgery, he shot 1-of-13 from the field. The hope is that with the troublesome section of the meniscus now shaved off, he looks more like his old self on a more consistent basis. Of course, there are no guarantees that happens because he has been inconsistent all season.
As always, Rose’s return will be under intense scrutiny and people will hang on his every word. The slightest missteps will be criticized, as they already have been since he spoke. The only way Rose can quiet the criticism is by coming back with a vengeance and leading the Bulls on a deep playoff run.
It’s fair to question whether Rose can actually do that, but the first step is simply getting back on the court. It looks like that’s going to happen.
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