The Chicago Bulls got a welcomed sight on the court Monday night when Derrick Rose made his re-appearance with the team after sitting out a stretch of games with a tweaked hamstring. There has been a lot of concern about the long-term health of Rose and his commitment to the team considering he continues to sit out for long periods of time, but the point guard was back on the court Monday. However, now he is drawing criticism for fatigue.
Rose finished the night going 5-for-10 from the field for 18 points and five assists in 25 minutes of play. The Bulls got the win over the Utah Jazz, but some believe the point guard could have done more and was showing signs of fatigue during the game. According to head coach Tom Thibodeau, Rose just needs to stay on the court and play.
"Oh I don't know. Jesus. He's got to get out there and play," Thibodeau said, via ESPN.com. "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."
The Bulls need Rose to remain healthy on the court. The team has likely lost Taj Gibson for a stretch of time after the forward suffered an ankle injury over the weekend. Gibson was uncertain of the extent of the issue, but said that players were urging him to be patient in his return. Monday night was the first time Chicago had all five intended starters on the court including Pau Gasol, Mike Dunleavy, Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah and they would like it to stay that way. Rose believes everything should be find moving forward.
"It's been time," Rose said. "To me, it's been time. Every injury is a setback a little bit, but as far as emotions and everything, how hard I worked, it's been consistent with how I'm feeling, being positive. And it's been a minute since I've played. This is the first one and now it's behind me and now we're on to Denver."
While Rose is hopeful to stay on the court, Butler is stressing that he remain cautious. The Bulls have high expectations for this season and that involves being the best in the Eastern Conference. Rose is necessary to that effort and Butler knows that without the point guard, Chicago will be in trouble.
"Man, (Rose's) head is in the same place all of our heads are in, and that's wanting to win a championship," Butler said, via USA Today. "That's what he's getting ready for. That's what we're getting ready for. We want him to be a hundred percent - not 99 - because you come back too early and you're risking another injury. He's fine. He's our leader, and he knows what he's doing."
