Fourteen months after his second knee injury, a torn right meniscus, at the onset of the 2013-14 NBA season, Derrick Rose is starting to feel good, physically that is.
But as far as the standings of the Chicago Bulls in the NBA and the team’s two wins in the last eight games, there is still plenty to be desired from the play of the once prolific off guard of the Windy City basketball squad.
Rose is still far from the killer form that once catapulted the Bulls to the top of the Eastern Conference standings during the 2011-12 NBA season. Had it not been for LeBron James and the Miami Heat overcoming them during the Eastern Conference Finals in the ensuing NBA playoffs, Rose could have lead the Bulls to its first ever Finals appearance in the post-Michael Jordan era.
With a 28-16 win loss record and fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are in for a tough stretch with four games in six nights against teams with mostly winning records including the Spurs, the Warriors, the Mavericks and the Heat.
Reports have it that the coaching staff of the Bulls are thinking of giving Rose extended minutes in order to put him back in shape as well as cover for several injuries that have been plaguing some of Chicago players.
Game form still not there yet
Despite the return of Derrick Rose to full recovery status, his game has not been to that stage just yet.
And with the power-forward Joakim Noah out due to an ankle injury, it certainly puts pressure on Derrick Rose and company to hold the fort while one of their key players is down, just like they did when he was out for nearly two consecutive NBA seasons.
Noah suffered an ankle injury because the team physician gave him the clearance to play full time despite coming from a knee surgery last year that somehow contributed to the new injury.
Swingmen Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Doug McDermott are also playing injured while Taj Gibson has been playing below the level of his usual game. Kirk Hinrich is not doing any better at the point both in the offensive end and in the defensive end, details Yahoo! Sports.
While Pau Gasol can really hold his own at the center slot, with Rose misfiring often times and a lot of his teammates not doing any better, the Chicago Bulls are now in a dilemma.
There is no doubt that the Chicago Bulls will make it to the playoffs with a healthy Derrick Rose in its lineup. The only question is how deep the team will go into the playoff this time around.
In last year’s NBA playoffs, they were eliminated by the Washington Wizards in five games in the first round.
With the NBA already on its second half, it is crucial that Derrick Rose get his bearings back both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. If giving him extended minutes will be the solution to finally getting him out of his current spunk, then it is important that the Bulls make use of it and capitalize. After all, a healthy Rose is their key to making that long-anticipated Bull run in the NBA.