The Chicago Bulls are trying to remain optimistic. The team is currently contending for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but has just lost their best player on the court which could potentially derail all plans this season. The Bulls entered the 2014-15 with plenty of confidence, but the injury to Derrick Rose has reportedly not hurt that as the front office remains hopeful that the point guard can return from a knee injury in order to play in the postseason.
Chicago announced that Rose will undergo surgery on a torn meniscus Friday. He will have either all or part of the meniscus removed in the surgery in hopes that it will speed up his return to the court. This is the third knee surgery Rose has undergone while the second straight repair on his meniscus. Most expect this recovery timetable to be much longer for the point guard, but the injury might not be as severe as originally reported.
NBA beat reporter KC Johnson is reporting the front office of the Bulls has a lot of hope Rose will be back in the postseason. Team president Michael Reinsdorf told the media that the team fully supports the point guard and the team believes this injury is only a minor setback for Rose. Teammates might be thinking a different story. Guard Jimmy Butler remains optimistic about Rose, but Joakim Noah made it clear that he is not positive the point guard will come back this year.
"Just really sad," Noah said, via ESPNChicago.com. "Angry, sad -- he doesn't deserve it. 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. Mentally, I think we're a little bit drained with everything that happened. But I just know that we're going to have to play a lot harder if we want to be successful."
For now, the team will rely on Butler, Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrch for scoring help. Nate Robinson is available on the free agent market to pick up in order to help. Players like E'Twaun Moore will also get increased playing time. It is likely a long shot that Rose returns this year. The Bulls will do their best to keep their heads above water, but it is hard to see the team making the Eastern Conference finals without Rose.
