The Chicago Bulls dropped their Sunday night matchup with the Detroit Pistons by a score of 99-85, which snapped an 18-game Detroit skid. That wasn't the story of the night for Bulls fans, however. Derrick Rose was seen in warm-ups dunking emphatically off his left leg, which the former MVP said in March would be a deciding factor in when he returned to action.
Specifically, Rose said he would need to be able to "confidently dunk off his left foot in a game situation." Obviously, pre-game warm-ups are not game situations, but the sight of Rose's explosiveness returning has Bulls fans' interest piqued.
On Sunday, Rose also told the Chicago Tribune that he would be open to playing in a reduced role if he came back this season. "I wouldn't mind at all," he said. "Of course I want to play more. But it's not that big. I'm going to play whenever I'm ready. I don't care if it's 15 or 40 (minutes). I just love the game too much. Like I said, I'm just waiting and praying about it. And hopefully I'll be out there soon."
When Rose was asked if he was planning to sit out the remainder of the season and playoffs, Rose said, "Oh no. I'm keeping it open."
Still, despite the optimism Rose's dunk brings, and the clearance to play doctors gave him, Rose is still being patient and cautions. On top of that, there are only six games left of the regular season for Chicago. The 2010-2011 NBA MVP is focused solely on his recovery, according to the Chicago Tribune report.
"I'm just trying to get better. I'm just trying to help my teammates, give them confidence to go out there and play hard. I'll play whenever I'm ready to play. Who knows when I'm ready to? Right now, all I can do is just cheer on my teammates."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
