Fans shouldn't get their hopes up about Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose playing again this season. Although Chicago expects Rose to return in four to six weeks, in time for the playoffs, Rose's interview on Tuesday suggested that might not actually happen.
Rose spoke with reporters for the first time since his "minor" knee surgery on Feb. 27, and the biggest takeaway from the former MVP's lackadaisical answers was returning this season wasn't a sure thing.
He said there was a "good chance" he'd return this season, but it depended on how his knee felt.
"I think so, that's the plan," he told reporters, via ESPN. "Whenever I feel right, that's when I'm going to step back."
His answer sounded less confident than what was said last month by the Bulls, who stated they expected Rose to be back on the court in time for the playoffs. When asked if Chicago's timetable for his return bothered him, he answered: "Who cares? I'm not even thinking about that right now. I'm thinking about getting the most out of every day."
Rose also elaborated on his recent knee injury. When he suffered his season-ending medial meniscus tear in the same knee a year earlier, he acknowledged the surgery he elected to have then left open the possibility of the follow-up procedure he underwent almost two weeks ago.
"It was all about getting back on court," he said. "Something they had to take out. At the time, I didn't really care (about later side effects). I wasn't thinking about the future. I didn't think that far ahead. I just wanted it out. I just wanted to walk right, get to rehab right away."
