After a mostly healthy but somewhat underwhelming regular season, it appears as if Derrick Rose won’t even get the chance to shine on the playoff stage. The Chicago Bulls announced today that the 2011 MVP will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
Here’s the team’s press release:
Derrick Rose reported today with right knee pain. An exam and subsequent MRI confirmed a medial meniscus tear of the right knee.
Surgery will be scheduled, after which a timeline for his recovery will be determined.
Rose missed the entirety of the 2012-2013 season after tearing his left ACL during a first-round playoff series the previous April. After returning to the floor for the first 10 games of last year, he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee – the same injury from which he currently suffers – that sidelined him for the season’s remainder.
Though the superstar point guard hasn’t lived up to optimistic preseason expectations in 2014-2015, there was a sense he’d recently turned a corner. Rose averaged 22.3 points and 5.4 assists per game over 16 contests leading up to the All-Star break.
Depending on the severity of his tear, there’s a chance that Rose could play later this season. Considering his extremely cautious approach to this very injury approximately 16 months ago, however, it seems most likely his woeful performance in the Bulls’ win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday will be his last appearance until next fall.
We’ll keep you updated as information on Rose’s status becomes available.