Mar 9, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter (15) fights for the ball against Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) and Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic (44) during the game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
The action on the floor wasn’t the only notable event going on in the United Center on Monday.
Rose spoke to the media Monday night for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a torn right meniscus on Friday February 27. Although he didn’t say anything blatantly stupid that would assuredly get him in trouble with his already divided fan-base, the press conference left something to be desired. The injured point guard stressed his desire to return to action.
"I’m going to try my hardest. I’m killing every workout right now. Conditioning-wise, it’s going to be the hardest thing.’"
However, Rose didn’t guarantee a return this season despite being given the go ahead to return in 4-6 weeks. If this deadline holds true, he would return before the end of the regular season. Rose said that there is a “good chance” that he returns this season, although he refused to issue a definitive commitment. Echoing his mindset in previous rehabilitation attempts, Rose said that he wasn’t feeling any sense of urgency to return by the end of the season.
"“No pressure at all, especially not with this team. When I’m really healthy I’ll come back.”"
Although Rose stated that there is a good chance for a return this season, he complicated matters by refusing to give a personal target date for his return. He gave the following answer when a reporter asked when he expected to return to the court this season.
"Who knows? Whenever I feel well that’s when I’ll step back on the court.’’"
Rose has proven in the past that conducting rehabilitation at his own pace may be a counterproductive strategy. More so than seasons past, time is a real issue. The Bulls need a healthy Rose to seriously contend for the NBA playoffs that are quickly approaching. Rose is deceiving himself if he doesn’t feel a sense of urgency to return as soon as possible.
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