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Derrick Rose Injury News: Ankles Remain An Issue

By Maxwell Ogden

Oct 31, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) on the bench during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Cleveland won 114-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) on the bench during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Cleveland won 114-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bulls have opened the 2014-15 NBA season well, going 4-1 in five games played. In three of those outings, Derrick Rose has taken the floor and led the charge at point guard.

Just five games into the season, however, Rose is struggling to stay healthy.

The 2011 NBA MVP sprained his ankle during Chicago’s lone loss, a 114-108 overtime defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He subsequently missed the following two games, but came back to help the Bulls earn win No. 4.

According to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago, Rose wasn’t at 100 percent when he returned to help the Bulls overcome the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, November 5.

"Rose said after the game that the ankles were “still sore” and that he tweaked the injuries in a second-quarter collision. Still, the former MVP remains hopeful that he will be able to play Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.“Of course I wasn’t 100 percent tonight but I felt like we needed this win,” Rose said. “And just try to come out here and do anything it takes to get this win with my teammates.”"

Rose finished with 13 points and seven assists in 31 minutes. His quality production was hindered by a lackluster athletic burst in comparison to what we’re accustomed to seeing.

The 26-year-old acknowledged that his ankles played a factor in his approach and, at times, his effectiveness.

"Rose said it was his decision to play in the game and that he made it soon after getting to the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Wednesday night. Rose seemed to improve as the game wore along, but his lateral quickness was lacking at the beginning of the game.“I really couldn’t get to the hole as much as I wanted to,” Rose said. “I might have had no fast-break points or anything but I was able to still affect the game and draw people in with my double-teams to help my teammates out.”"

The good news for Chicago is that Rose is healthy enough to play. The question is, will this linger?

Rose infamously tore his ACL in Game 1 of Chicago’s first-round series in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Before that tragic incident, he’d missed 27 regular season games due to a number of different leg injuries.

The ACL tear wasn’t necessarily an isolated incident.

Since then, Rose has played a grand total of 13 games in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. He’s missed 156 outings in that time, including the two he was unavailable for early this season.

Along with the torn ACL from 2012, Rose tore his meniscus during the 2013-14 season.

The encouraging sign is that Rose played at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, made it through the preseason and is currently healthy enough to play. The concern exists in Rose’s medical history and what his current ankle issues could mean for his knees.

There’s also legitimate risk in what it does mentally to a player if a coaching staff refuses to let them play.

It’s better for Rose to be limited in explosiveness than in availability, but neither option is preferable. Chicago will thus weigh the risk and reward of having Rose play every game in a month as early as November.

The question is, is it worth having Rose for all of March and April if that means resting him for parts of November?

Or should Chicago trust their star to play when he claims he’s ready?

The Derrick Rose saga continues.

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