Rose led the Bulls with 23 points and six assists in Monday's 96-95 win over the Indiana Pacers, which ended with a game-saving block by Jimmy Butler. But Rose wasn't on the court for the last half of the fourth quarter after spraining his left ankle. He walked back to the locker room under his own power and said in a postgame interview he won't need a walking boot. Still, the limp was noticeable and the same old questions about his health resurfaced.
What are we watching here? The season might be just 10 games old, but averages of 13.6 points and three rebounds would be career lows if the schedule wrapped up today. 37.7 percent shooting from the field would be his second lowest for a season. He did manage to make both 3-point attempts against the Pacers, but those still can't mask (no pun intended) a 3-for-20 performance from long range for the year.
I hate the thought of conceding my sentiment that someday, Rose will become that great player we know and love once again. We might have to face reality though. While he's capable of games like the one we just saw up until his untimely exit, he doesn't do it consistently enough to be listed among the top point guards, let alone players, in the game anymore. Stephen Curry, John Wall, Ricky Rubio and Jeff Teague make up just the tip of the iceberg of players at that position who have jumped far ahead of him.
Here's how bad it's gotten. Last night, I asked my co-worker in jest what would happen if Rose went one-on-one with Kobe Bryant. He laughed very hard, saying he was pretty sure they'd blow out their knees or something to that effect. I tried desperately not to laugh with him, but slowly realized there's a high likelihood of that scenario playing out.
Are we doomed to watch a player who can't show anything but occasional flashes of one MVP season? The Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill comparisons are getting harder to avoid. Is the main difference between him and those players that he happened to be rewarded for being the league's top player one year? That would mean he's on track to become what I've feared for awhile now: the only NBA MVP who doesn't make it to the Hall of Fame.
Rose may only be 27, but his body's been through more than most players who have lengthy basketball careers. Sports can be cruel and no one knows that better than him. We're left to wonder where he and the Bulls would be right now if that first ACL tear hadn't occurred. Maybe they wouldn't have defeated a West team in the NBA Finals, but they would have had so many more legitimate chances to get that far.
The Bulls start their circus trip Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns. Whether Rose can get height there like he did against Goran Dragic back in 2010, or even be healthy enough to play, remains to be seen. And while we're at it, we have to wonder if he'll be able to see well enough to score at least 20, assuming he goes.
Frustrating games and frustrating seasons are adding up to a frustrating career. We're mad just watching this unfold. And the worst part is none of this can be blamed on Rose. Throw a fit at the fates for making everyone suffer through what should have been a better career to this point.
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