Will Derrick Rose Ever Get Back on Track for Chicago Bulls?

By Casey Drottar @cdrottar19 on November 26, 2014

Last night, the Denver Nuggets took down the Chicago Bulls, giving them their fifth straight win. It’s surprising, really, considering how Denver started this year winning just two of their first nine games.

Unfortunately, what wasn’t surprising was what occurred mid-game. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose once again was unable to finish the night due to, you guessed it, injury. Rose was taken out of the game at halftime due to tightness in his left hamstring. Afterwards, he claimed it wasn’t a setback, and was just being precautious.

This has sadly been the theme for the former MVP this year. Of Chicago’s 14 games this season, Rose has only played in seven. He’s had hamstring issues, as well as sprains in both of his ankles. Even more alarming is the fact Rose has actually not started and finished two consecutive games once this year. For a team whose success depends in large part on Rose’s health, this isn’t a stat you want to see.

Now, this is no criticism of Rose’s inability to stay on the court. As discussed, you can’t lash out at a player for getting hurt. However, with his inability to string even a handful of games together, there has to be growing concern. It might be time to worry not about whether or not he can consistently stay on the court this season, and instead be worried about whether or not Rose will ever be able to get back on track at all.

Rose came into this season with two surgically repaired knees, and if you’re looking for any sort of silver lining, the fact the injuries he’s suffered have nothing to do with them is a good thing. However, the explosiveness once associated with him has only appeared in short bursts. As the injuries pile up, Rose has been getting less and less aggressive. Obviously, he doesn’t want to risk exacerbating his ailments, but when he’s not driving the lane on a consistent basis, he’s simply not as effective.

Making things worse is just how infrequently he’s been able to play this year. Every game involves either getting readjusted to the court, or limping off it. For a player who desperately needs to get in a good pace in order to play at his best, this isn’t helping the cause. It’s something coach Tom Thibodeau expressed concern over after Monday night’s victory against the Utah Jazz.

“He’s got to get out there and play,” Thibodeau said. “I thought he did a lot of good things. You could see he’s not real comfortable with the ball yet, but that will come. When Derrick strings some games together, he’s going to take off. He’s got to go. That’s the bottom line. He’s got to go.”

It goes without saying Thibodeau isn’t voicing frustration about Rose directly, but more about the fact his superstar can’t seem to stay healthy long enough to regain any sort of rhythm. It’s unfortunate that it’s practically routine now for him to have to develop strategies on the fly once Rose is again forced to leave a game.

So far, the Bulls have been able to stay afloat despite dealing with injuries to Rose, as well as Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Much of this is thanks to the emergence of guard Jimmy Butler, who has quickly become a major threat on both sides of the court.

As mentioned, though, the concerns for Rose need to start shifting towards the long term. He hasn’t played a full season since 2011-12. He has yet to prove he can effectively return from pretty much any sort of injury. The more often he gets hurt, the more likely his psyche gets affected. If every time you do a certain thing it results in you getting injured, would you feel comfortable continuing to do it?

What if this is what becomes of Rose’s career? What if, instead of the player we saw dominate the league in the 2010-11 season, this is the Rose we should get used to from here on out? Is holding your breath every time he has the ball the norm now? Is Rose’s future essentially what we’re currently watching; spurts of greatness before hobbling to the sideline?

Even worse is looking at this picture from a wider view. The Bulls signed Rose to a max contract a few years ago, so they’re tied to him for the time being. For the past couple years, the team has been a collection of quality players and, every now and then, a Rose sighting. Is this what the agenda will be for the rest of Rose’s tenure in Chicago? A team with a group of good (not great) players, with one superstar available at a sporadic rate?

Obviously, the hope is this isn’t the case. However, it’s tough to paint a bright picture of the future when the present looks so bleak. I don’t blame Rose for being precautious with his injuries. He’s doing this in order to make sure he’s available to help his teammates in the long haul. But, right now, being careful means limiting his abilities on the court. Even worse, it isn’t doing the trick in terms of keeping him healthy in the first place.

The scene in Chicago gets uglier every time Rose hits the floor and slowly limps to the bench. Fans are mocking him left and right. The media is citing, at times even scoffing at, the idea of Rose ever being healthy enough to help his team win an NBA title. His teammates and coach are getting frustrated, both for Rose and at the numerous questions they get regarding his health.

You have to hope this really isn’t what the future holds for a player as talented as Rose. However, he’ll understandably only get more tentative as the injuries continue to roll in. It’s going to take Rose being able to play a lot of consecutive games before he can ever get back to the man we once saw.

Right now, this is no easy feat for Rose, and you have to wonder if he’ll ever be able to overcome it.

Casey Drottar is a Featured Columnist for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @CDrottar19 or “Like” him on Facebook