Derrick Rose Cleared to Return
Chicago Bulls' Star Derrick Rose tore his ACL in the playoffs last year and has missed the current season so far. Rose is the cornerstone of the Bulls' franchise so naturally, his teammates and the fans have been itching for him to get back on the hardwood. The Bulls are an offensively challenged team without him but have been holding their own in the Eastern Conference. Chicago currently is the 6th seed in the East.
What should be made of the doctors clearing All-Star Derrick Rose to return to action but, Rose himself has not declared himself ready? Is Rose scared to reinjure his knee? Does Rose know Chicago doesn't have what it takes to win the NBA Championship? Or does Chicago's front office want to hold him out because he is the face of the storied franchise? Regardless, it has only been 10 months since he went down with this gruesome knee injury.
The team is not built to win a championship this year, and Since Rose does not feel 100% mentally prepared, the franchise is not pushing for Rose to return before he is ready. Would Rose possibly help the Bulls become a better team this year? The answer is most likely yes, but is it worth Rose playing tentatively, doubting his knee and worse possibly re-injuring himself?
In an ideal situation, Rose will come back this year and become comfortable playing in live games vs. other teams. But it is clear that Rose is an elite player and the choice of when to return is his. Adrian Peterson and his recovery from the same injury has raised expectations for all players recovering from a catastrophic knee injury, and has placed pressure on Rose and other star athletes to return before they are individually ready.
By Steven Spector - 3 -8-13
