Bulls GM talks about Derrick Rose’s return
By JOE COWLEY jcowley@suntimes.com January 7, 2013 11:50AM
Derrick Rose
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Updated: January 7, 2013 4:33PM
It would make life easier on Gar Forman if he knew the exact date that his No. 1 would be back on the court. It would definitely lighten the load on the amount of questions the Bulls general manager has had to answer about Derrick Rose.
And while Forman admitted on Monday that there is a plan for “The Return,’’ it’s a plan written in pencil rather than pen.
Surgically-repaired anterior cruciate ligaments obviously don’t care much about making schedule deadlines.
“There is no end game in sight,’’ Forman responded, when asked about the All-Star Game as being the date frequently thrown out there for a Rose return. “The next step was to get him on the floor where he’s participating in practice and contact activities. So we’re not skipping steps. Once we feel comfortable with that and our doctors feel comfortable, then we’ll go to the next step. It’s not about us being evasive with our answers.
“Everything has been planned out, in detail. That’s why we’re taking this step-by-step and not skipping steps. There’s a process in place and we’ve never wanted to jump ahead.’’
Rose had the surgery last May, and the MVP point guard started participating in light practice a few weeks ago. He made his first road trip with the team last week, and full-contact practice seems to be just on the horizon.
But this is all about erring on the side of caution with the face of the franchise for years to come. It’s not about what’s best for the Bulls today, as much as what’s best for them and Rose tomorrow. If that means slip-ups like their last home game in which they lost to Charlotte, so be it.
“We want to do what’s right for Derrick, we want to do what’s right for our team,’’ Forman added. “The goal all along is to do that. To take the process step-by-step, to not skip steps, and when he’s 100 percent ready to play, he’ll play.’’
