Nate Robinson Should Hope Derrick Rose Doesn't Return This Season

By Brendon Fitzsimons
Dennis Wierzbicki- USA TODAY Sports

We all know the reason why the Chicago Bulls brought in Nate Robinson, it’s no mystery as to why Chicago turned to an athletic, explosive and passionate player to guide its bench production. We know the story. What we as fans don’t know though, is what will happen to Robinson on the day Derrick Rose returns?

December is coming to an end, and with every passing month fan’s anticipation grow and grow as they wait for Rose to return to the floor. And with rumors of his continuing recovery Robinson should be sweating just a little bit.

Robinson- along with Kirk Hinrich and Marquis Teague– make up the trio of ball handlers responsible for calling the plays. One is a rookie, one is injury prone and one is inconsistent. None of the three compare to Rose and it brings up the issue of whose job is on the line. It would be ridiculous to have four point-guards on the team and it would be detrimental to keep all four and just play mix-and-math with their positions. With that in mind, is Robinson the one on the chopping block? Unfortunately the answer may be yes.

Robinson was given a contract of $1.14 million and guaranteed after January 10th. That date is right around the corner and it is time for Chicago’s front office to make a decision. There is no question on how well Robinson has been performing both as a starter and off the bench but the sad truth is he will be overshadowed by Rose upon his arrival. Robinson was a fallback plan he was a fill-in. When Rose returns the front office is likely to say, “thanks for coming out.”

The reason being is because of Teague. We know Hinrich’s role; an aging, injury prone floor general who -when healthy- can lead the team not in points, but with experience. So what is Teague’s role? His role is to mature and evolve. His role is to be a rookie who learns the game sitting on the bench and practices what he sees when he hits the floor. His role is not to be a superstar it’s to merely be a player that Chicago can count on in the coming years.

With all of this said, four point guards is excessive to say the least and we can say for certain that Teague’s and Rose’s jobs are secure and Hinrich is to late in his career to be worth any trade value. Robinson is the only bait they can dangle in front of teams and possibly get a bite. That’s why he may be the one most likely to be missing on the roster come January 10th.

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