Even though he just returned to action late last week and is still playing limited minutes, Derrick Rose is ready for the playoffs.
He is excited to be finally being able to play in the playoffs after missing it the last two seasons because of injury, notes MSN News.
After scoring 13 points and dishing out seven assists in 23 minutes of action during the game against Brooklyn Nets on April 13 where Chicago won by a mile 113-86, Derrick Rose confidently says that he still got a lot left in him to go for more come the playoffs.
Chicago will have its final game against the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks on April 15 which would be a test case for the Bulls, even though the game would hardly matter in the two teams’ respective positioning in the playoffs.
The Atlanta Hawks is already the top seed in the East and would only lose homecourt advantage in the event that it faces the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls on the other hand is safely tucked in the third spot. The only question is whether it could win its last game against Atlanta since that would mean that the franchise would get a 50-win season.
Not about to overuse himself
Derrick Rose added that after undergoing three surgeries in three years and attempted recovery to get back to his old form again, he is already smart enough to play the game without overusing himself. Getting injured again is something that he cannot afford to happen to himself again because he does not want to take the same painful route in his career.
The Bulls All-Star point guard also said that it is an honor for him to be in the winning group and mindset of the Chicago Bulls squad but he knows he got a lot more in his tank to be able to contribute to the team come the playoffs.
While Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau has been playing him limited minutes, Rose understands the situation well and knows where his coach and the training and physical conditioning staff of the team are all coming from.
Thibodeau said that the limited minutes for now is good for both the team and also for Derrick Rose but he still wants to see how everything unfolds come the playoffs. The Bulls coach said that the priority for Rose is to get him in the groove and see if he’s playing well even with limited minutes.
And thus far, Thibodeau is happy with what he is seeing. He likewise assured that if Rose would continue to play well and he can handle the minutes, he would definitely play him and give him a few more minutes on the court.
Excited for the playoffs
Rose can no longer contain his excitement come the playoffs beginning late this week where they are most likely to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. He is also eager to spend more time on the court beginning the playoffs.
He said that the playoffs would be fun and that he is just happy for being able to play the game again and be on the floor. Rose added that he dedicated so much of his life in the sport so he is just happy to be playing the game he loves.