Not Again!

This has been a very strange two days for Derrick Rose, forcing me to constant shift the focus of this post.  First, he created waves during Monday's media day when he, unprovoked, said he was looking forward to his next big contract during 2017 free agency.  On Tuesday, we learned the relations between him and the woman in his civil suit were consensual and she was upset over not being reimbursed over something the two of them used.  Then, the same old injury narrative played out once more.

Halfway through Fred Hoiberg's first practice, Rose was accidentally elbowed and subsequent tests revealed a left orbital fracture.  He will have surgery Wednesday at nearby Rush University Medical Center.  There is hope he'll be ready for the Oct. 27 season opener against Cleveland, but no timetable will be set until after the surgery.

Taj Gibson, recovering from his ankle injury, admitted he might have been the player who delivered the big blow.  He couldn't definitively say so, but he described the moment as a play "where everybody going so hard and it's real physical out there."  Obviously, players want to show on day one they'll be ready to impress over the next few weeks.  Although nobody on the court wanted it to happen, it was a result of the intensity that must have been displayed.

Hoiberg didn't seem too concerned about it and said Rose "looked great" while on the floor.  But with Mike Dunleavy out eight to 10 weeks, he's already down two starters.  The good news about point guard is he has Aaron Brooks, E'Twaun Moore and Kirk Hinrich to fill in.  Unfortunately, they have less talent collectively than Rose by himself.

As for Rose, he has yet another physical and mental obstacle to overcome.  It may not be another serious knee injury, but he could miss a good chunk of action, likely the entire preseason.  Players who have had orbital surgery typically returned after missing between five and 28 games.  That's not to say Rose will be out as long as Dunleavy, but the mere possibility of it is cause for everyone to shake their heads and wonder what else could go wrong for him.

Meanwhile, the Bulls have to learn to play without him yet again, although this virtually identical group did it for 28 games last year.  It's probably better this happened during the preseason.  They can learn how to play when he's not available while the games don't matter.  It's still better than other years when he went out under the notion he'd be available all season.

No matter the situation, the fact remains Rose just cannot stay healthy.  Time and again, he's had to get back in physical and mental shape.  If he never becomes what he was supposed to, it can be blamed on all the time he spent trying to get back on the floor as well as the injuries.  They're not his fault, but it's easy to see why people are losing confidence in him if they haven't already.

The more time passes, the more I see Rose going from a "what could be" to a "what could have been."  The case for him being worst MVP in league history will only grow if he keeps suffering these setbacks.  Maybe he'll be ready for Opening Night and people will forget about this.  Still, there will always be that notion in the back of everyone's mind that he's another bad move away from more extended time away.

Forget the media day comments and civil suit.  From a basketball perspective, those mean nothing.  If you want to focus on the dumb things he says and the trouble he's gotten himself into, that's your prerogative.  But whether you do it or not, you can't deny the reality that the Bulls sink and swim with him.

Amazing how we're not even in October yet and we already have to deal with this.  With luck, this will be the worst Hoiberg has the injury bug in his first season.  But that's likely wishful thinking in a season that lasts until at least mid-April.  Just hope for minimal damage and the team will be just fine.