When Gar Forman stepped up to the podium Friday morning, he had a bit of a smirk on his face. That could only mean one of two things. Derrick Rose's prognosis for the season was good or he was masking a frown from learning about his franchise player's future. Fortunately, the former proved to be the case.
Rose, under the care of team physician Dr. Brian Cole, had the torn part of his right meniscus removed and subsequently walked out of the hospital. His recovery time is believed to last 4-6 weeks, which means he could return to action as early as March 28 against the Knicks or as late as the final three games of the regular season. In the meantime, he should be back to a regular practice schedule in a week.
It definitely gives a more positive feeling than what we had when the initial news broke Tuesday night. There's a small glimmer, but a glimmer nonetheless that this season can still be something special. Still, we don't know what kind of player Rose will be when he returns, especially in the playoffs. That's a much bigger bear.
And there's still the possibility something could go wrong over the next month, forcing Rose out of yet another postseason. We really shouldn't think that way, but we've learned anything is possible with Rose. He's not like other players regarding his talent or his health. That combination is leading to comparisons of Penny Hardaway and Brandon Roy, two wonderful players whose superstardoms were derailed by constant knee injuries.
The good news is all indications are this procedure for Rose wasn't as serious as his previous two. Forman indicated he might even restart some of his basketball activities at the Advocate Center tomorrow. If all the former MVP needed was to get rid of this part of his meniscus, we'll take it. Any Rose is better for this team than no Rose at all.
Long-term, Rose is now more at risk for arthritis in his knee. What that means for his career can't really be determined right now, but look for the knee issue to be more chronic than it was before. Plus,if he really wanted to be pain-free for meetings and graduations down the line, the chances of that have certainly taken a hit.
But perhaps Rose and the doctors recognize there was no point in repairing a meniscus that had been re-torn just 16 months after it was operated on. And if the Bulls' title window is closing, perhaps that was taken into consideration. Rose wants nothing more than to be a key contributor on a championship team. It's hard to tell how much of his input was considered here, but it would be shocking if the current NBA environment didn't play a role.
These Bulls are more stacked than they ever have been, so playing without Rose for a month or so may not be such a bad thing. Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol have been leading the charge, so they could certainly hold down the fort until their point guard returns. And no matter what we see from Rose when and if he returns, his mere presence will inspire the team as much as Joakim Noah's emotions. That doesn't mean he should have lower expectations than E'Twaun Moore, but he can probably play beyond that in his condition anyway.
No need to give up on the season yet, Bulls fans. This period just happens to coincide with Lent, so consider this a time of penance for everything bad the Bulls have done this year. When Christ rises again on Easter, so will Rose (we hope). Hey, faith is sometimes all we need to look ahead.
While you look ahead, check out Rose's new Powerade commercial.
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