Derrick Rose is reportedly nearing his return from another knee injury after participating in full contact practice with the Chicago Bulls on Monday at Advocate Center.
Rose, who underwent surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee late last month, was projected to be out for 4-6 weeks, and the former Most Valuable Player is on track to hit the timetable.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Rose played in two 10-minute sessions of four-on-four full-court scrimmage. He could have participated in five-on-five game, but several players were given a break on Monday, including Pau Gasol, Mike Dunleavy, Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich.
According to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, Rose did not show signs of tentativeness, but he admitted that Rose was winded as a result of his month-long layoff since undergoing surgery on Feb. 27.
"He was aggressive," Thibodeau said of Rose. "He was a little winded, but we expected that. Overall, I thought it was good. He said he feels good physically. The big thing is going to be the wind and conditioning. He's been out a long time."
The Bulls are currently in a tight race with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are currently in third place with their 45-29 record - 2.5 games behind the 48-27 Cavaliers and 1.5 ahead of the 43-30 Toronto Raptors, who are currently in fourth place in the East.
Bulls center Joakim Noah said that Rose will be a vital factor if they want to reach a new level, but the All-Star said that they should be patient to avoid another setback. Thibodeau also had the same take, saying that they will not rush Rose's return and will just allow him to play if he is already 100% comfortable.
"He needs some more practice time where he's taking contact. But it will come. The more he does that, the faster it will come," Thibodeau said. "Ultimately, he's got to feel comfortable. You can't put him out there if he's not comfortable. Each week he's done a lot more. Hopefully, he'll be good."
In 46 games this season, the 26-year-old point guard, who also suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in 2012 and torn meniscus in his right knee in 2013, averaged 18.4 points to go along with 5.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds. The Bulls are 9-8 since losing Rose and went 7-4 without their star point guard earlier in the season due to various injuries.
Click on this link for more Sports News & Updates from Christianity Daily.
