Chicago Bulls: Why It’s Beneficial For Derrick Rose To Start Fresh Next Season
Derrick Rose isn’t mentally or physically prepared to return to the Chicago Bulls. It would be wise for Rose to return next season. (Photo credit: soaringbird on Flickr)
What would be beneficial for both Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls? Frankly, Rose needs to rest up for next season and start fresh after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Recent reports stated that Rose should return next season, but not to the Bulls. Rose told ESPNChicago.com’s Nick Friedel he wasn’t clear on a specific return date.
“It could be tomorrow and I feel like I could play the next game,” said Rose in the interview, who tore his ACL during the playoffs last year. “Nobody knows but God.”
If there’s an uncertainty in your star player to return, then it’s wise for the Chicago Bulls to shut Derrick Rose down for the year.
Many experts feel that there is strong evidence that Rose’s return would be too rushed for the Bulls. The ACL requires plenty of rest to be able to exert the kind of energy he needs to generate his playing repertoire. Rose is a shooter who can distribute the ball and double the trouble for opposing guards. Last season saw Rose play 39 games during the shortened season, contributing 21.9 points and 7.9 assists per game as well as scoring 25 points and 7.7 assists per game in his last full season.
This is exactly what the Bulls are missing from their lineup. Granted, they are still a formidable team. But even with Joakim Noah is having a renaissance season at center, Luol Deng an All-Star year, Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson doing their best as point guards, they don’t have a chance to win without Rose at his best.
Rose coming back less than 100 percent would hinder the Bulls instead of helping them in the playoffs. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
The Bulls (38-31) are poised to clinch a spot in the playoffs. They currently sit at the sixth spot and are half-game behind the Atlanta Hawks. With Chicago likely to draw the Indiana Pacers or the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, the Bulls would have a tough time taking either team down.
They need strong guards to match up with the Pacers’ George Hill and the Nets’ Deron Williams. Rose at full strength can do both, but a rushed return just wouldn’t cut it for the Bulls. Hinrich and Robinson alternating the task would be better for the Bulls because they’ve played all year and came through. Robinson is a sparkplug, scoring 12.4 a game and brings a level of excitement and intensity the Bulls need. Hinrich, more experienced, can distribute the ball better, recording 5.3 assists a game to Robinson’s 4.4. However, due to his foot injury, he has encountered some limits.
Despite their best efforts, they’re out of their league compared to Indiana and Brooklyn. Both guards would cause problems for both offensively, not to mention their counterparts in the Pacers’ Danny Granger and the Nets’ Joe Johnson. The Bulls could beat either team, but it’s unlikely they can get past the first round.
How does Derrick Rose fit into the picture? If he comes back, he doesn’t stand a chance. No one can come back from an ACL and be expected to perform at the expected intense physical level. It would take all season for Rose to return to his dominant self. Just ask Ricky Rubio, who suffered the same injury and needed all season to fulfill the Minnesota Timberwolves’ expectations of his performance. Hill and Williams would destroy Rose on both ends of the court.
The Chicago Bulls need to make the right decision. Shut down Derrick Rose. He isn’t prepared mentally or physically to come back for the playoffs. But he will be ready next year.