In 1986, a young superstar by the name of Michael Jordan broke his foot and missed 64 games. Without him, the Chicago Bulls languished at the bottom of the standings. Team officials encouraged their star player to sit out the entire season, with high hopes of landing another stud in the upcoming NBA draft.
Jordan’s legendary competitive nature took over and he’d have none of it. Number 23 was back on the court as soon as he was cleared by doctors and he led his otherwise miserable team to to the playoffs, where he averaged 43.7 points per game despite getting swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics.
Fast-forward 27 years and the Bulls find themselves in a similar situation, but with a stunning role reversal. After losing their current young superstar, Derrick Rose, to an ACL injury last season, the playoff-bound Bulls have been stuck waiting and wondering when the former league MVP will suit up again in the city that Jordan built.
All season, the team has played with the idea that Rose would likely be returning in time for the playoffs. After all, he suffered the injury on April 28 and underwent surgery on May 12. The Knicks’ Iman Shumpert and the Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio sustained similar ACL injuries around the same time. Rubio returned in December, Shumpert in January. Yet, despite practicing at full speed, partaking in pre-game warmups and being fully cleared by doctors, Rose is sitting in street clothes. With April (and the playoffs) fast approaching, Rose has still not given a definitive answer on whether he will actually suit up this season.
“It could be tomorrow and I feel like I could play the next game,” Rose told reporters. “Nobody knows but God.”
That’s the problem. Somebody should know, and it’s Mr. Rose himself.
While management is eager to get their young star back on the court, they’ve left the decision up to him. At just 24-years old, nobody wants to rush him back and risk re-injury. Still, after seeing Adrian Peterson return from ACL surgery after just nine months and nearly break the NFL rushing record, it’s easy for fans to wonder why their superstar isn’t superhuman as well. The reports that he looks like the old Derrick Rose in practice, only stronger and with a better jumper don’t help the cause. While his teammates publicly support his ‘wait and see’ approach, it’s easy to tell that the uncertainty is affecting the club.
The Rose-less team started out strong this season, looking like a potential No. 2 or 3 seed. However, in February, as the Rose-to-return rumors began, the wheels have seemingly fallen off. The talented but overachieving team is now limping to the finish line. Sure, they’ll still make the playoffs, but instead of going in as a strong, confident team with the newly returned-Rose as the icing on the cake, now they’re the bullied kid on the playground squared up for a fight who’s steadily looking over his shoulder, waiting for his big brother to intervene.
Rose has admitted that his biggest remaining hurdle is mental, not physical. If that’s the case, it’s decision time. Play or sit? Bulls players and fans deserve an answer.
It’s OK if he’s not Jordan or Peterson. Not very many people can live up to those standards of greatness. It’s the indecision that’s driving everybody insane. With just twelve games remaining in the regular-season, the window is closing – fast! If Rose wants to be a playoff hero, he’ll need time to get reacclimated to game speed and get his legs under him. If he wants to sit and make sure he’s “110 percent,” both physically and mentally, then he should announce he’s shutting it down until next season.
Let’s be honest, the way the Miami Heat are steamrolling through the league, it’s unlikely Rose could propel the Bulls to an NBA title. Still, if he’s going to sit, his teammates deserve to know so they can prepare to enter the playoffs with the players they’ve got. Joakim Noah and Luol Deng are excellent players, capable of leading the team to a solid playoff run. They’ll only be able to do that if they’re playing with confidence. They need to be in alpha dog mode, ready to take and make the tough shots instead of hoping that awesome guy from practice finally shows up to one of the games.
Rose’s most important contribution to the Bulls this season may not even come on the court. Instead of waiting on his knee, his stamina, his explosiveness or his shot to round into form, D-Rose needs to stand up and make a decision. He needs to make it now, or his team will never have a chance to succeed in this year’s playoffs.
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