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Bulls News: Coach Thibodeau Takes Tough Stance on Derrick Rose

By Michael Dunlap

Oct 24, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scottrade Center. The Timberwolves won 113-112. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scottrade Center. The Timberwolves won 113-112. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau took a tough stance on Derrick Rose

After the Chicago Bulls 97-95 victory over the Utah Jazz in which Derrick Rose returned to play 25 minutes, coach Tom Thibodeau took a new, tougher stance in referring to Rose’s comfort level and what he must do in order to move forward to help the team.

ESPN.com quoted Thibodeau as throwing these barbs at his former MVP after being asked a question about Rose’s fatigue:

"Oh I don’t know. Jesus. He’s got to get out there and play. I thought he did a lot of good things. You could see he’s not real comfortable with the ball yet, but that will come. When Derrick strings some games together, he’s going to take off. He’s got to go. That’s the bottom line. He’s got to go."

That’s a strong statement that nobody close to the team has taken up until this point. Rose did score 18 points with five assists and three rebounds, but he played just 5:37 in the fourth quarter, scoring three points with no assists and a turnover. In his 12:43 played in the second half, Rose accumulated just five points with two assists and a turnover (on 1-for-4 from the field).

There’s a saying that refers to conditioning in the NBA that essentially states that the only way to get into game shape is to play games. One can practice hard, scrimmage hard, kill it in the weight room and mentally prepare himself for anything to come, but a player will never get into the proper shape and will never get fully comfortable until they’re able to get out onto the court to play.

Rose hasn’t been shy about his concerns about his body and how he wants to ensure he’s not doing any long-term damage. When it comes down to it, doctors can say whatever they want, but that final answer — the final decision — lies with Rose.

The good sign here is that Rose understands that the time has come for him to completely buy in. This is what he had to say about frustrations and setbacks:

"It’s been time. To me, it’s been time. Every injury is a setback a little bit, but as far as emotions and everything, how hard I worked, it’s been consistent with how I’m feeling, being positive. And it’s been a minute since I’ve played. This is the first one and now it’s behind me and now we’re on to Denver."

Injuries are piling up quick for the Bulls, which really shows how much Rose would be able to help. Kirk Hinrich is hurt. Pau Gasol is hurting. Taj Gibson is out. All of those injuries trickle down to guys like Jimmy Butler, who played the entire second half last night and logged 43:52 for the game. Having Rose soak up some of those minutes will pay dividends down the line and will enable the Bulls to hit the playoffs relatively fresh.

There’s no doubting that this Bulls team is a championship contender with or without Rose. Getting Rose back to a position where he’s able to be counted on and he’s able to be reliably placed into the starting lineup each and every game is the icing on the cake. As Rose said himself, it’s time.

Next: Which Bulls are among the NBA's 50 greatest players of all-time?

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