Point guard gives no more clues as to when he will return to the court.
With the Chicago Bulls struggling, star point guard Derrick Rose is not prepared to give them the boost they so desperately require after refusing to admit when he will return.
Speculation has been rife again this week, with rumours of a potential return for Rose emerging and swiftly passing with each game in the packed March schedule.
Speaking ahead of the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, the former MVP revealed he is still feeling some soreness in his knee while also avoiding naming a specific return date.
“It could be tomorrow and I feel like I can play the next game. Nobody knows but God,” he told the media as reported by NBA.com.
The 24-year-old has been medically cleared to return following successful rehabilitation from an ACL tear suffered in the play-offs last season.
However, it now appears to be a case of improving his fitness to deal with the obvious soreness but also the mental aspects of being comfortable to explode off his repaired knee when driving to the basket and dunking.
“When I got my team-mates behind me and they see how hard I’m pushing in practice and I’m seeing how hard they’re fighting for me on the court, it makes me want to go harder. It makes me want to be out there more too. But you have to look at the big picture.”
For Bulls fans Rose’s plan is perhaps the most sensible course of action. There is a sense of desperation for Rose to return in order to give the franchise belief heading into the play-offs.
Yet the most important thing in this whole situation is Rose’s future, and it would be devastating were he to push for a return only to suffer a setback and re-injure his knee.
For now, the Bulls are slipping in the Eastern Conference and are currently sixth in the standings. The latest loss has placed further doubt over their post-season credentials, as reaching the play-offs appears to be the best result that can come from this season.
While the franchise has not put any pressure on Rose to return, the ‘Windy City Assassin’ is confident he will return a better player. When that will be, remains a mystery.
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