Derrick Rose has not played a single game for the Chicago Bulls this season and despite what he says that is unlikely to change in the second round against the Miami Heat. Rose told reporters after Chicago’s Game 7 win over the Brooklyn Nets that his imminent return was “still up in the air” but a report by Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski says that the decision was cemented in stone long ago.
“Who knows? Derrick Rose knows. His choice has been made to sit out the season and it includes no provisions for turning back, sources with direct knowledge told Yahoo! Sports.”
Its kind of foolish to expect Rose to return for his first NBA competition in nearly a calendar year against the Miami Heat. Rose wants to return with no struggles and no hesitancy. Going up against LeBron James and company certainly does not fit that description.
Perhaps Rose is leaving the decision open publicly after watching so many of his teammates gut their way through the first round of the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets. Luol Deng, Nate Robinson, Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich all battled their way through injuries and sickness that would have sidelined them if this were not the playoffs.
His teammate’s struggles have created more criticism for Rose but the decision to play or not to play should reside with him. If he doesn’t feel healthy or something still doesn’t feel right with the knee then its his career and he should be the one to decide the outcome. However, if he is not playing then he owes it to his teammates to end the charade of this possible comeback.
