It’s painful for Bulls fans to relive the moment Derrick Rose tore his ACL during the first game of a high expectations playoffs last year. In mid-air, he awkwardly kicked it out to Carlos Boozer, and then everything seemed to slow. The Bulls lost the series in six.
An already tattered Rose, who only played 40 of the Bulls’ 72 total games last season due to injuries, shouldn’t have drove as hard as he did during that play. He probably shouldn’t have even been in the game at that point.
But that is all in the past and the future is uncertain. The Bulls, as of Feb. 27, are 32-25 and sixth in the Eastern Conference, meaning they probably won’t go far.
So why isn’t he back yet?
Rumors of Rose’s return over the past month have ranged from ‘very soon’ to ‘not this season’. The latter makes the most sense. After severely tearing the anterior cruciate ligament, the full recovery time is usually a full year, which would have Rose back in uniform Apr. 29, nine days after the playoffs are set to begin.
Also, the pressure on Rose to return I think is a little ridiculous. I’m not big on Adidas’ “The Return” marketing campaign, though some fans love it. The pressure seemed to peak when Rose had an emotional breakdown at a September 2012 press conference. So try to lay off #thereturn tweets, Grens.
Let’s not forget he tore his ACL. There are few athletes who have successfully returned from an ACL tear in recent years and it can be reinjured. The most notable comeback would be Adrian Peterson, who nearly broke the NFL single-season rushing yards record in his returning season. However, some fans suspected a little “help” contributed to his remarkable return. I love comebacks, so I will be optimistic until the day comes.
So Rose has a lot to overcome before and after his comeback. The pressure continues to mount every time the Bulls lose. I mean, how could we lose to a Kyrie Irving-less Cavaliers? He can dunk again but time will tell if he can play.
By: Jack Kaup