As reported by the Chicago Tribune, Bulls’ guard Derrick Rose has torn his right meniscus after leaving the game against Portland early on Friday night. First and foremost, I must say I sincerely feel bad for this guy. After 19 months of rehabbing from his torn ACL in the left knee, Rose will have to undergo surgery once again. Though not as serious as an ACL tear, the meniscus tear will keep him out for the rest of the season…again. Derrick Rose has struggled thus far this season after missing so much time. He has been searching to find his game once again and to return to his old self but that progress is going to be delayed once again.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated/CNN
This injury immediately makes me think of players such as Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrew Bynum. These players are extreme cases, but this recent injury to Rose makes one think, is this the path that he is headed for. Some players are injury prone, it is just a fact. There is only so much the player can do to prevent injuries. It does not matter how skilled the player is, injuries can and will ruin careers. Look at Amar’e. He was one of the most explosive players and best dunkers in the game. Stoudemire was an all-star and since having countless surgeries on both knees has made him virtually useless. Most New York fans have developed disgust towards him because he is holding back the team from making the next step and acquiring some new talent. Now let’s look at Andrew Bynum. Again a player that had a tremendous upside. In his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bynum was regarded as arguably the best big man in the game. Since that he has had multiple surgeries and is on his third team in three years. At this point it is unlikely that Bynum will be able to revive his career to the level it once was. The same goes for Stoudemire.
Back to Rose, no one can predict the future, so there is no way of telling how Derrick Rose is going to come back and how the remainder of his career is going to go. Severe injuries to both knees is a serious issue. Personally, I hope he can return to the MVP that he once was.
What do the Bulls do now though? We were witness to what happened last year when Rose was out. The Bulls are talented enough to make the playoffs but they simply cannot contend without Rose (I’m not even sure they can contend with Rose). This franchise is once again stuck at a standstill as they cannot sign any big name free agents, unless they let go of Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng this offseason. They have tons of money invested in their team, but are not capable of winning anything. At this point, the Bulls may have to consider trading some of their key players. It may sound like blasphemy, but Chicago should possibly entertain the thought of trading away Derrick Rose. They do not want to get stuck with a loaded, unproductive contract like the Knicks currently are with Amar’e. As much as Rose is loved in Chicago, the team is not going anywhere if he continues to get injured. Who knows, I could be totally wrong in suggesting this thought. Many teams would be open to considering trading for Rose and the Bulls may be able to get a top 5 pick in this year’s draft.
