Derrick Rose Owes It To Teammates To Return On Time

Taj Gibson

After an emotional win against the Phoenix Suns on February 21, Taj Gibson revealed that he had been playing through a major hand injury for more than a month.

"“I was playing with a stage 2 ligament tear in my hand,” Gibson said. “It was so frustrating, but I just go out there and try to do what I can. [Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau] told me, don’t try to tell about any injuries. Just go out there, just try to give your team whatever you can. And that’s been my slogan: Just try to do what I can.”"

Feb 25, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) dunks over Charlotte Hornets forward

Marvin Williams

(2) during the second half at the United Center. Charlotte won 98-86. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick Rose needs to follow the example of these two teammates and realize that he needs to sacrifice his health for the good of the team. On many occasions in the past (way more than these two examples), Rose’s teammates have sacrificed their health during his absence. It is time for Rose to return the favor.

Derrick needs to understand that it is unrealistic to expect to be 100% healthy during the playoffs. The nature of an 82 game NBA season eliminates this possibility. Every player is going to be tired, or have those nagging injuries. Some players, like many of his teammates have done in the past, will play through serious ailments to give their team the best chance to win. For Rose, not returning on time because he isn’t mentally ready is unacceptable. Soreness or even a tolerable amount of pain are unacceptable excuses as well. Barring a major setback in his recovery, he needs to plan to return within the allotted time period.

He needs to do this for his teammates. Nobody else.

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