Chicago Bulls Rumors: Derrick Rose to Return Monday Against the Denver Nuggets

Rumors are swirling around that Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will make his much anticipated return to the court Monday against the Denver Nuggets. Rose, who hasn’t played since April 28th of last year, appears to finally be ready to return to the basketball court after months of rehabbing his torn ACL. The former MVP was cleared by team doctors a few weeks ago to resume playing, but Rose said he was not yet mentally ready to return.

Rose has been able to do everything from participating in 5-on-5 practices to dunking off of both legs, but he stressed the importance of being mentally ready. There is no official word yet on whether or not Rose will in fact play Monday, but there have been many signs pointing towards him playing.

Earlier in the week, Bulls television color analyst, Stacey King, said that Rose’s explosiveness had returned and that his return would be imminent. Furthermore, the Bulls game was originally scheduled to air on Chicago Comcast Sportsnet Plus, the alternative station of Comcast Sportsnet, but it was now changed to the main station, Comcast Sportsnet.

The change could be to draw in more viewers since Rose is expected to play Monday against the Nuggets. King’s comments and the game being televised on a main network might be enough to convince fans that Rose will in fact play Monday.

However, this is all still speculation and there has not been an official word from Rose or the Bulls organization. Nevertheless, it is exciting to hear that Rose could be back on the court as soon as Monday, and it will be a huge boost for Rose’s fans and teammates alike.

The reality is with or without Rose the Bulls will face a tough Nuggets team that is currently on an 11-game winning streak. Furthermore, the first time the two teams met, the Nuggets ran the Bulls right out of the gym as they embarrassed the Bulls en route to a 128-96 victory back on February 7th.

The Nuggets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, and it will be difficult to get a win against them regardless of whether the Bulls have Rose or not. However, having the former MVP return would definitely give a boost to the team and his play and emotion surrounding the game might be enough to help the Bulls secure another victory.

Alejandro Aviles is a writer for Rant Sports and regular NBA contributor @aaviles312