Chicago Bulls Would Be Wise to Rest Injured Derrick Rose

Chicago Bulls fans saw an unsettling sight this past Tuesday, as point guard Derrick Rose limped off of the court late in the first quarter.

He eventually returned and got back on the floor to help Chicago hold off a late surge by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were thriving off of the energy of Ricky Rubio.

Early on, the injury was reported as turf toe, but later it was changed to a sprain.

One might think that a toe injury can’t be all that damaging, but when you are a slasher like Rose who relies on speed, not having your base at 100 percent can affect your play very much. It’s also the type of injury that can be re-aggravated easily.

Rose is no stranger to playing banged up. He gritted out a tough five-game series against the Miami Heat in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals with an agitated sprained ankle.

With that in mind, health was a huge concern for this team coming into the current season. Carlos Boozer lost weight to help lessen his chances of injury. Joakim Noah said that the extra time off from the lockout helped his ankle heal completely.

A healthy Chicago team with the upgrade at shooting guard in Richard Hamilton has a more-than-legitimate chance of winning an NBA championship this season.

But now Chicago is missing Hamilton, C.J. Watson and Rose; all of whom are listed as day-to-day. It’s a circumstance Bulls fans know all too well.

There’s no doubt that Rose wants to play, but it will be in the Bulls’ best long-term interest to rest him until he’s 100 percent. That may be a hard to pill for some to swallow, but having Rose possibly hobbling into the playoffs again does nothing to bolster a Chicago Bulls title run.

Coach Tom Thiddodeau says that that Rose is responding well to treatment, and if that's the case, let the treatment do what it's supposed to do so that he can return ready to run as opposed to continuing to play at a cautious pace.

It’s early on in the season, so there’ll be plenty of time to get the team rolling by the time the postseason arrives. Chicago has more than enough talent to stay competitive during Rose’s absence and could use a lesson in playing in extremely adverse circumstances anyway.

Resting Rose insures that the Bulls finish strong, and it’s hard to argue that getting hot at the beginning of the season is better than getting hot going into the playoffs.

If a team wants to win, they have to be able to handle the hurdles that come with it. There is no greater hurdle to overcome than losing your star player.