Hope can be fickle at times, especially with Derrick Rose. But now our hope has an actual deadline.
As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports, Rose should be back in 4-6 weeks which means he could be available for the Bulls in the playoffs.
Bulls GM Gar Forman called the surgery minor and Rose walked out of it.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 27, 2015Bulls GM Gar Forman estimated return at 4-6 weeks.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 27, 2015Bulls GM Gar Forman: "We expect Derrick to be playing this season."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 27, 2015Four weeks will put Rose's return around March 27 and six weeks will mean the very end of the regular season around April 10. This is a very positive sign for the Bulls who have finally surrounded Rose with the best talent of his career. The negative side is that the Bulls have a difficult stretch coming up.
In March, the Bulls will face the Thunder twice, the Spurs once, the Clippers once and will see their Eastern rivals Toronto Raptors twice and Washington Wizards once. They will also have a slate of games against playoff hunting teams like the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets, who wil be desparate for a win to ensure a playoff berth. Facing this tough schedule without Rose and relying on Aaron Brooks will be a true test as he will have to battle a slew of elite point guards like Kyle Lowry, John Wall and Russell Westbrook.
The silver lining in all of this is that Forman said that Rose will begin aggressive rehab almost immediately and should be back performing basketball activities in a week. All of this is quite different from Rose's previous injuries, when he and the Bulls kept his activities in a shroud of secrecy.
What type of Rose will be returning of course remains to be seen. This will be his third knee surgery in three years and with the meniscectomy he just received, long-term issues may result. His right knee will now have the dreaded bone-on-bone problem which of note, ended the career of Brandon Roy.
But before we go all doom and gloom, let us celebrate the fact that we will see Derrick Rose on a basketball court again this season. Perhaps, third time's the charm for The Return.
