Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose suffered another setback in his career after sustaining a torn meniscus in his right knee, which was the same injury that forced him to miss all but 10 games last season.
Multiple reports confirmed that Rose is set to undergo surgery this week and will likely be ruled out for the remainder of the 2014-15 NBA season. However, there is still some hope in the organization that their superstar will return at some point this season - possibly when they go deep into the 2015 NBA Playoffs.
All-Star guard Jimmy Butler, who leads the Bulls in scoring at 20.2 points per game this season, said that he spoke to Rose on Wednesday and his teammate is in high spirits, which makes him believe that there is still a chance the former Most Valuable Player will play again this season.
"I think we're all optimistic about it," Butler told reporters. "We want him back and I'm sure he's going to try and get back as soon as possible."
Following the news about Rose's injury, the Bulls took a 98-86 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
According to Bulls center Joakim Noah, they looked mentally drained against the Hornets after hearing about the unfortunate news. When asked if he sees Rose returning again this season, Noah did not give a definite answer. He expressed sadness over the recent setback, but he believes Rose will rise up to the challenge again.
"He doesn't deserve it," Noah said of Rose. "It's just really disappointing. I feel bad for him, but I know he's a tough guy and he's going to bounce back."
Rose, who is averaging 18.4 points to go along with 5.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game this season, suffered the same injury last season, which forced him to end his season after just playing 10 games.
The former Memphis standout also suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in Game One of their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The injury kept Rose on the sideline for the entire 2013-14 NBA season.
Former teammate Luol Deng, who is now playing for the Miami Heat, was also disappointed for Rose, but he is also optimistic that the former first overall pick will be able to hurdle the recent challenge in his career.
"I think he'll be fine," Deng told the Sun-Sentinel. "But it's just three seasons in a row. He wants to do what he loves, but things keep happening. And honestly, a lot of people would deal with it differently. He just keeps going and keeps working hard."
