Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
With the NBA preseason set to tip off in just a few days, the Chicago Bulls will finally have former MVP Derrick Rose back in their lineup. Rose made the bold and controversial decision to sit out all of last season after he suffered a torn ACL in the 2012 playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. This decision did not sit well with many fans and members of the media. However, one person who believes Rose made the right decision by choosing to rehab instead of play last season is Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant.
Rose and Durant, who were teammates during the 2010 World Basketball Championship, have been training together this summer in preparation for the upcoming season. In a recent interview, Durant showed his support for Rose by proclaiming his beliefs that Rose did the right thing by sitting out all of last season. In an interview with Comcast SportsNet Durant said Rose looks better after taking the time off “A lot of people criticized him for it and really were upset about him not playing, but it was the best thing for him. I can tell because he looks better.”
Durant’s take on Rose’s decision should be encouraging to Bulls fans for two reasons. First, it is nice to see Rose receive support from a superstar like Kevin Durant. Having the respect of his peers should do wonders for Rose’s confidence. The other reason why Durant’s words are encouraging is because he believes Rose looks good on the basketball court. Durant knows a thing or two about basketball as he has averaged 25 points per game or better each of the past five seasons. For one of the best players in the game to say that Rose looks like he has gotten better speaks great volumes.
It is nice to see that Rose not only has the respect of Durant, but more importantly that he seems to have improved. Chicago’s first preseason game is on October 5th against the Indiana Pacers. This game will mark the official return of Derrick Rose. Bulls fans have been waiting quite sometime for this moment and have very high expectations for Rose. Let’s hope that Durant is correct in his assessment of Rose and that he is improved and did indeed make the right decision.
