Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls warms up before a game against the Miami Heat
According to multiple reports, Derrick Rose has been ruled out for game 3 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Miami Heat. The Chicago Bulls will also be playing without Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich as the series shifts to Chicago. LeBron James and the Miami Heat played angry, looking for revenge and destroyed a tired, frustrated Bulls team in game 2 by 37 points. With the series tied at 1-1, and the Bulls searching for answers, should Derrick Rose make a return?
We’ve seen players from multiple sports bounce back from serious ACL injuries (Adrian Peterson of the NFL & Iman Shumpert of the NBA) after being cleared by doctors to play. For some reason, it’s very different with Derrick Rose. According to @MySportsLegion on Twitter, Rose was cleared to play in March of this year, so what’s the hold up?
Derrick Rose has continuously said he wants to play when he feels 100% again, but maybe he already is up to full speed? My feeling with the situation is that Rose might be worried or nervous about potentially re-injuring his knee. You can clearly tell how devastated he was after the injury happened last year in the NBA playoffs. Some players have a different mind-set and don’t let previous incidents affect them too much, they get right back to work, but this might not be the case with Derrick. A lot of people have the idea of not rushing him back, because the Bulls have gotten this far without him, plus everyone is thinking about the future of Rose. A former MVP and at only 24 years old, nobody wants to rush him, some are looking toward the future instead of right now.
Luol Deng and Derrick Rose
Ultimately it is Rose’s decision in the end and he will do what’s best for him, not the team. With the stellar play of Nate Robinson, the Bulls haven’t been as desperate at point guard, but they might need a boost at this point. Miami will most likely come out with the same mentality as game 2 and try to take care of business again, realizing they are facing a diminished Bulls team. Everyone wants whatever is best for Derrick Rose, but I would sure like to see him make an appearance off the bench in game 4, playing very limited minutes, it would give him and the Bulls a much needed boost. Will the return of D.Rose happen during these 2013 NBA playoffs, or will it happen next season?
- The Miami Heat take on the Chicago Bulls tonight at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN
