Another year, another Derrick Rose knee injury. For the third time in as many years, the Chicago Bulls star is set to go under the knife after sustaining a knee, with this one being the second straight injury to his right knee in particular. This has sadly become a much too common occurrence for the once-promising young superstar. So where do the Chicago Bulls go from here as their franchise player becomes increasingly damaged goods?
If it’s stretchers you’re into, check out our look at the top 10 most gruesome sports injuries of all time, other read on for a look at Rose’s injury status and contract situation as well as Chicago’s options in dealing with yet another Rose injury both this season and going forward.
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Derrick Rose’s Injury and Contract Status
Rose’s Latest Injury
The Chicago Bulls confirmed on Tuesday that Rose tore the medial meniscus in his right knee. It’s the second time Rose has injured this specific part of his knee. The first time was 10 games into last season against the Portland Trail Blazers (see video below). He was subsequently shut down after undergoing surgery and missed the rest of the season.
Unlike the first tear, there is no clear indication when and how Rose injured it this time around. He had complained of some pain in his right knee earlier in the day. The tear was confirmed with a subsequent MRI.
Rose is once again set to undergo an operation to repair the latest tear, although a timetable for his return won’t be available until after the surgery. It’ll be his third significant knee procedure in three years. He also tore his left ACL in the 2011-12 NBA playoffs and subsequently missed the entire 2012-13 season.
Rose’s Contract
Derrick Rose signed a five-year, $94.3 million extension back in December 2011. That contract corresponds to 30 percent of the Bulls’ salary cap as opposed to the standard 25 percent because Rose qualified for a specific rule (which has since been dubbed the “Derrick Rose Rule”) stipulated in the 2011 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement due to his winning the Most Valuable Player award in 2011.
He promptly tore his ACL four months after signing the extension. By the end of this year, he will have been paid close to $53 million for playing in 56 out of a possible 246 regular season games. That’s just short of $1 million per game. After this season, he is owed some $41 million on his current deal which expires in 2016-17, or two years from now.
What Now for the Bulls?
This year
Playing without Rose should be nothing new for the Bulls; they’ve done so for the better part of three years now and have remained reasonably competitive. They are even better equipped to cope without him as compared to last season, when their leading scorer and “go-to guy” was DJ Augustin.
They have a lot more options on the offensive end this year. Jimmy Butler has emerged as a legitimate All-Star wing this season, averaging 20 points to go with his terrific defense. Pau Gasol (18 points and 12 rebounds) has been very productive in his first year on the team, as has rookie Nikola Mirotic. Aaron Brooks isn’t the budding star he looked when he was named Most Improved Player in 2009-2010, but he can do a serviceable job as a starting point guard.
It wasn’t as if Rose was lighting it up when he was playing this season, anyway. He was averaging 18.4 points and had his moments where he looked like his old MVP self (see his game-winner against the Warriors and his 30-point game over Cleveland). But he was inconsistent and often inefficient. He was shooting 41 percent from the field and was taking 5.5 threes per game despite shooting only 29 percent.
There’s still a possibility that Rose makes a recovery in six weeks’ time for a possible playoff run. But even if he does return this season, there’s a very slim chance he becomes the player whom the Bulls, who are now +2,500 to win the NBA championship, need to get past the Atlanta Hawks or the suddenly clicking Cleveland Cavaliers in the East.
Next year and beyond
Moving forward, the Bulls will have to seriously consider their long-term options with the likelihood that Rose never manages to remain a consistent contributor. They could explore trade possibilities, but the market for oft-injured point guards making $20 million per year isn’t huge.
The cap’s growth in the coming years could give the Bulls some flexibility to make some moves in free agency even with Rose’s onerous contract, but that could quickly go away if they decide to pay Butler, who will be a restricted free agent come summer time. They could take their chances with the draft, but championship-caliber point guards don’t usually drop to the late-teens to early 20s range where the Bulls normally pick.
If they can’t move on from Rose or his deal, the Bulls will be stuck with two more years of playing a $20 million point guard who’s looking increasingly like a shell of the player he once was. That is when he’s actually on the court, which is never going to be a guarantee given his track record.
What Next for Rose?
With this latest injury, Rose is once again being mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Yao Ming and other fallen greats, which is a shame for the youngest MVP in league history. It’s quickly looking like a sad reality that Rose is the next snake-bitten superstar to have his immense potential go unfulfilled due to constant injuries.
At this point, Rose should be concerned about long-term health. He will aim to get back onto the court as soon as possible, but he shouldn’t make any rash decisions a la Brandon Roy playing in the playoffs just days after having his meniscus removed. It’s imperative that he take his time and return only when he feels he’s 100 percent ready.
And when he does eventually get back, he must also brace himself for the possibility (or eventuality) that he may never return to the show-stopping Rose the world saw just four years ago.
Injuries can change a team’s fortunes in an instant. What kind of change will Rose’s injury bring to the Bulls? Create a betting account now if you feel confident about them in either direction.
