Derrick Rose has done one thing since returning to NBA action on Oct. 5—reassure Bulls fans.
Although fans got a slight scare when he sat out the Bulls’ preseason game against the Washington Wizards due to knee soreness, the former MVP has looked to be getting back to normal. In fact, according to some recent postgame comments , he may be better than normal.
"I think I'm way more explosive now," Rose said according to ESPNChicago.com. "Like getting to the rim. I think I can take contact a little bit better. And as far as jumping-wise, I think I can jump even higher. They tested my vertical -- I increased it by 5 inches. I just didn't show it yet because there's no need to.”
The website reported Rose’s vertical is now at 42 inches as opposed to the 37 inches. His comments came after the Bulls played the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
The 24-year old guard put up his best performance this preseason in his first NBA home game since the 2011-2012 season. Rose scored 22 points in 22 minutes. As you can see from the highlights here on NBA.com, the performance included a Rose-esque swift move to the basket, a breakaway dunk and an acrobatic trick shot after some pretty good defense by the rookie guard Peyton Siva.
If Rose continues to dominate for the rest of the preseason, Bulls fans will continue to breathe a little easier. However, as with most ACL injuries, fans will probably be slightly on edge the entire year because there’s always a chance Rose’s knee could go again.
The Chicago Bulls plays their next game tonight at home against the Indiana Pacers. You can catch the game on NBA TV at 8/7c.
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