Derrick Rose: Bulls Must Not Repeat Mistakes from 2011-12
Just nine games into the 2014-15 NBA regular season, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has already been struck by a rush of leg-related injuries. On the heels of a pair of sprained ankles, Rose left Chicago’s 100-93 win over the Toronto Raptors on November 13 with yet another issue.
According to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago, Rose experienced an minor hamstring injury.
Rose said he has cramps in his hamstring.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) November 14, 2014
This isn’t a season-ending injury. If you ask Rose, it’s nothing more than a basic medical issue.
Rose doesn't think it's a big deal. Will be reevaluated tomorrow.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) November 14, 2014
Regardless of how severe the injury is, it’s an undeniable red flag. More importantly, it’s something similar to what Chicago has experienced before with Rose.
Chicago must not repeat the same mistakes it made in 2011-12.
Actual 2011-12 Recap
When it comes to the 2011-12 season, the most common misconception is that Rose’s torn ACL was an isolated incident. Due to the severe nature of the injury, it’s not surprising to see people overlook what happened before the tear.
Rose missed 27 of the 66 regular season games in 2011-12.
It started in January of 2012, when the former league MVP missed time due to turf toe, per K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. It seemed meaningless, much as the ankle and hamstring injuries of 2014-15 do to Rose’s faithful fans.
It was the beginning of a downward health trend.
Roughly a month later, Johnson reported that Rose was experiencing muscular damage in his back. It was a second injury, but the good faith continued in his ability to recover and produce.
It didn’t get any easier.
Later in the season, Rose missed 12 games due to a groin injury, per Johnson. The Bulls brought him back after that 12-game period, only to learn that it made a costly mistake: it rushed him back.
As Ian Begley of ESPN New York reported, Rose suffered a right ankle injury in his first game back from the groin ailment. Shortly thereafter, he returned and hurt his foot, per Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
Those aren’t isolated incidents. They all tie together significantly, with Rose missing 17 of the final 22 regular season.
Less than a month after prematurely returning from his groin ailment—mere days after playing just five of 22 games due to injury—Rose tore his ACL.
In 2014-15, Chicago must avoid following that same path.
Similar Path in 2014-15
Two games into the 2014-15 NBA regular season, Derrick Rose went down with an ankle injury. It was later reported that he had sprained both of his ankles.
He returned after a two-game absence, only to go down with another ailment, thus missing two more outings after that. I wish I were making this up, but I’m not: another two games later, Rose returned and suffered another injury.
At this rate, Rose is on a one injury per three games trend that is eerily reminiscent of the 2011-12 campaign.
The likelihood that Rose gets hurt in every three games is slim-to-none. Even with his history of injuries, the fact that he’s being hurt so often likely has more to do with rust than anything else.
Regardless of why it’s happening, it’s happening. It’s on the coaching staff and the organization as a whole to make the tough decisions on Rose’s availability.
Rather than continuously rushing Rose back for November games, Chicago must think long-term.
Whether it’s a minutes restriction, extended rest or an altered back-to-back schedule, something must be done.
The Bulls are currently 7-2 overall and 5-0 on the road, which is a testament to the outstanding roster that’s been built in Chicago. With or without Rose, the Bulls are a strong enough team to contend in the Eastern Conference.
The emergence of Jimmy Butler and the established prowess of Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah create an excellent four-player group of athletes. The supporting depth is noteworthy in its own right.
The question is, what should happen with Rose?
Rather than rushing him back, Chicago must gradually bring Rose back into his role as the primary perimeter playmaker. Regardless of what that process entails, caution must be utilized.
Including the 2014-15 season, Rose has only played in 53 of the Bulls’ past 239 regular season games. The loyal can defend him all they’d like, but this is about more than friendship, fandom and undying support.
For Chicago to get the most out of its extraordinary roster, it needs to learn from its 2011-12 mistakes as it brings Rose back up to speed.