Derrick Rose will continue taking his time recovering from the torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered during last year's playoffs, despite reports from ESPN Chicago that Rose's doctor has cleared the former MVP to return to the court.
Rose has told the team that he will not come back until he can "confidently dunk off his left foot." While he has been scrimmaging five-on-five for a month and has been seen dunking off both feet, the dunks off his left foot have been more casual than the thunderous jams he performs in games. According to the report, the team is not pressuring Rose to rush back but they are optimistic for a return in mid-March.
When asked whether Rose would be allowed to play when he deems himself ready, head coach Tom Thibodeau said ''We'll cross that bridge when we get there. We're just going day by day,'' and said the team is well-prepared to move forward with or without Rose.
The last time Rose commented on his comeback effort was in early February, when he said "I'm feeling good, but like I said, if it's where it's taking me a long time and I'm still not feeling right, I don't mind missing this year," he said. "I would love to [return]. I would love to. That's why I approached my rehab and my workout so hard. I'm trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible, but if I have anything lingering on, it's no point."
Currently, the Bulls are sixth in the Eastern Conference and are four games out of a second seed with 21 games left on their schedule. The Bulls score 92.8 points per game, the third fewest in the NBA, and could sorely use Rose's career averages of 22 points and eight assists per game. The Bulls have dealt with Rose's absence by ramping up their defensive effort, holding opponents to just 91.2 points per game, according to Hoopdata.com.
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