This is the moment Chicago Bulls fans have been waiting for.
No, you’re local pizzeria won’t start allowing upgrades to deep-dish crust free of charge. Nor will people fail to realize your city isn’t as windy as depicted. But the next best thing has happened—Derrick Rose finally admitted he’s 100 percent healthy. I think. Or rather, he thinks.
While traveling in China, Rose gave an update of the status of his ACL recovery to CSN Chicago (h/t CBS Sports):
I think I am a 100 percent. I’m doing almost everything. I’m squatting, running, lifting almost every other day, just being back on the court after you have an ACL injury, you’re kind of hesitant at first about how you step, what way you should step, learning how to run, accelerate, accelerate while you run and while you’re slowing down. For me, I’m reacting right now where all I have to think about is if I have to get to a spot, I’m going to get there no matter what. It kind of feels good having that feeling again.
My initial reaction: It’s about damn time. My reaction after munching on this for a little while: For what?
Uncertainty has become second nature with issues pertaining to Rose. Not one thing is a guarantee. That’s how it seems, at least. We know he’s going to play opening night, but we don’t know how healthy he really is. He thinks he’s 100 percent. Which is awesome. And, honestly, kind of exhausting.
All of last season was spent wondering if he would come back. Would he come back for the latter third of the season after he was cleared? No. Would he return toward the tail end of the regular season, just in time to lead Chicago to a better postseason seeding? Nope. Would he return during the playoffs, coming to the rescue of his battered and bruised brethren against the evil-doing Miami Heat. Nah.
It was infuriating. The questions, the (lack of) comments—everything. No one really came out and said he wouldn’t play. Sources abounded, but nothing was ever concrete.
Finally, the season ended. It was over. The Bulls lost, and everyone could move on. And most did. I was one of those who thought Rose should have returned during the playoffs and pulled the David Lee—start the game just to get a rise out of the crowd and inspire his teammates, then sit down if he had to. Months later, I still thought he should have done that exact thing, but I didn’t care. Few people did. It was all about next season, when Rose stood to make the Bulls the biggest threat to Miami’s Eastern Conference throne.
Then this. Not something I’m trying to construe as negative. Because it’s not. But with Rose, there’s been too many “I thinks” and “almosts” involved. You just want to know he’s fully healthy, that he’s ready for next season. Although there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be ready, the ambiguity remains so thick it can still be cut with a cleaver.
For once, it would be nice to hear “I’m 100 percent and ready to go,” or something definitive like that. Who gives a flying Winnie the Pooh if Rose and/or the Bulls are trying to cover their asses? Let’s drum up the hype. The dude’s a top-five superstar when healthy. Play into the optimism for once. Enough of this overly cautious business.
As always, we’ll never know what will happen for sure until next season. Will Rose be the same player he was? Better? Worse? No matter what he says, we just don’t know. Just once, however, it would be encouraging to see the “I think” taken out of the equation if he and the Bulls truly believe in the updates they’re slinging. Just once.
Is that too much to ask?
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
