Jerry Lai – USA TODAY SPORTS
I defended the Derrick Rose lengthy comeback trail for as long as I could, but in the beginning of March when news broke that he was medically cleared to play and wasn’t on the floor, my patience had been tested and I bailed on the Chicago Bulls superstar and his pity party. After reportedly dominating in scrimmages since February 18th, the new excuse for the delayed return is that Rose lacks muscle memory in his surgically repaired right knee.
This is just another smokescreen in what has been an absolute circus trip. With prior excuses like his “calves were burning” or that he would return when he could dunk off of his bad knee, it’s been proven that the Bulls’ frontman is a boldfaced liar. Now he wants us to believe that it’s something as simple as muscle memory that is holding him back?
The most disgusting part of this is the fact that there are members of the Bulls who have defended him at every turn while they too have been ailing from much more severe injuries. Rose is complaining about muscle memory, meanwhile Joakim Noah has been playing on a foot all season long that is riddled with plantar fasciitis. If I were Noah I would be absolutely irate at the whole Rose camp.
So please don’t anyone buy this most recent ploy for pity, especially when it has been proven in the last year that this ordeal has lies and misconceptions at every turn. Wait until next week when Rose is siting a sore big toe ligament as his most recent setback. Keep in mind that by not returning to action Rose is going against what the NBA and personal doctors have told him as he has thrown his rehab schedule to the wind.
