Derrick Rose Will ‘Likely’ Return To Action Sometime This Week

It looks like Derrick Rose will return to the floor just in time to get his feet wet before the playoffs begin on April 18. But that hardly means the Chicago Bulls are expecting him to star like the MVP of old.

During Sunday’s broadcast of the Bulls’ hard-fought loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, ABC’s Lisa Salters reported that Rose told her he would play “sometime this week.”

The 26 year-old superstar was sidelined on February 24 and had surgery to remove a portion of his torn meniscus a few days later. Following the procedure’s success, the Bulls announced that Rose would likely return in 4-6 weeks, specifically noting hope that he could appear before the regular season’s end.

Chicago has away games versus the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat on Wednesday and Thursday before hosting the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Its season ends with matchups against the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks next week.

Though the Bulls have yet to announce a plan for Rose’s re-acclimation to game action, one would expect he’s most likely to play in contests versus the Magic or Heat, but certainly not both – the team’s medical staff will surely want to see how his body reacts to meaningful competition before proceeding further. Even if the homegrown star rebounds to full health and no discomfort, though, Tom Thibodeau isn’t exactly expecting his vintage impact.

That’s a refreshing take from Chicago’s coach, and one that offers the most realistic scenario for Rose’s influence. He wasn’t close to a MVP-level earlier this season before going down for a latest extended stretch, instead sprinkling in games of major production and major struggles with consistently above-average play.

And while that didn’t seem like enough to carry the Bulls to a status as legitimate title contenders, shot-creation plus the very threat of it is something Thibodeau’s roster sorely lacks without Rose in the lineup. It’s jarring how little Chicago creases the paint via dribble penetration when he’s sidelined, and that ability by itself – irrespective of the possession’s outcome – looms especially large in today’s NBA.

Rose won’t be anywhere near his career peak and perhaps not this season’s, either, upon his return. But that hardly means he can’t make a very positive impact for a talented team which still boasts the brash confidence that’s been its hallmark for years.

Will Chicago finally live up to it in April and May? We’re dubious and have been for weeks, mostly for the continuity reasons Thibodeau acknowledged after yesterday’s game. Via Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago:

Rose has missed 20 games, and the Bulls are barely .500 during that time (10-9), losing ground to the Cavaliers for the second seed in the East, so while his return would be welcome, it would start another process of readjusting to his teammates and vice-versa.

“That’s the challenge,” Thibodeau said. “Any time you’re dealing with injuries, it’s how quickly can you adapt to those changes. We’ve had our starters together for 19 games. We’re heading down the stretch now. So whenever we do get people back, we gotta be ready to move forward right away. We don’t want to use that as an excuse. Just get out there and get the job done.”

But the Bulls are undoubtedly better off dealing with adjustments related to Rose’s re-appearance as opposed to making him watch from the bench.

With him back in the lineup, the potential for Chicago to beat the Atlanta Hawks or Cleveland Cavaliers exists at the very lest. When he’s sideline, though? Not quite. And that’s reason enough for the Bulls to be upbeat as Rose readies to play for the first time in six weeks with the postseason just around the corner.

[CSN Chicago]