How many times can D Rose come back from knee injuries?
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will undergo surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee and after three serious procedures in three years, questions are being asked about his future.
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It’s a familiar nightmare for both Rose and the Bulls and it is widely expected that he will miss the remainder of the season with his latest setback.
After effectively being robbed of two years of his career with previous issues, the latest injury has stunned both the Bulls and the NBA as a whole, given the improvement and longevity of the 26-year-old’s play this season.
Having found his legs at the FIBA World Cup last summer, Rose came into this season lacking rhythm but showing signs that he could still be that explosive point guard that the Bulls needed him to be.
Nevertheless, there were still a frustrating few months as he relied on his shooting rather than attacking the basket as the mental aspects of his recovery still hindered him. However, his performance in the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers prior to the All-Star break was everything that Chicago needed as they looked forward to making an extended run in the post-season this year.
However, while they thrive on the underdog tag which has seen them upset the odds on multiple occasions over the past two years, it is widely acknowledge that without Rose, it will be nearly impossible for Tom Thibodeau’s men to get past the likes of the Cavs.
The pressure is already on Thibodeau given his rocky relationship with the front office, and so Rose’s injury may well have bigger repercussions on the organisation as a whole if there is further failure ahead.
This current Bulls roster was built to win right now, and with Pau Gasol ageing and Joakim Noah’s health both considered as problems moving forward, Rose going down may well have just shut the championship window on this team.
Jimmy Butler earned his first All-Star nod earlier this month and could arguably be considered the future of the franchise in the years ahead, as ultimately it is unclear as to how many times Rose can come back.
The former MVP received heavy criticism earlier this season when he insisted that he was playing smart and would sit out games if he didn’t feel his body was in the right shape. Rose insisted that he wanted a life after basketball where his knees wouldn’t prevent him from doing every-day activities, but those vulnerable knees in question have let him down again.
From a health perspective, this may well force him to re-consider his future despite the likelihood being that he works hard at rehabilitation and gets back out on the court as soon as possible.
However, he can’t escape from the fact that this is an issue that he will have to live with for the rest of his life, and with the Bulls having so much money tied up with him, there may have to be a difficult conversation at some stage in the coming days over how much confidence all parties concerned have in his knees moving forward.
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