Derrick Rose Return: Rounding Up Latest Reports on Chicago Bulls Star

The latest buzz around the Chicago Bulls concerns the possible return of Derrick Rose, the superstar that has been out since late April of last year as he recovers from a torn ACL.

Every fan and supporter wants to know when the point guard will get back in uniform and competing at the United Center, but—unfortunately—there just aren’t many answers out there right now.

Let’s take a look at the latest reports and speculation surrounding D-Rose and his eventual return to action.

“110 Percent”

Rose finally consented for a lengthy interview about his recovery process for the first time since the 2012-13 season tipped off.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, the former MVP only plans to return when he is “110 percent”, and doesn’t have any set date on when that will happen.

However, when pressed on how close he was to his lofty goal, D-Rose stated he was in the high 80’s and far away from seeing the floor.

The Bulls PG also stated he should be stronger and better than ever, telling Zillgitt:

"With all this hard work I've been putting into my game, I'm doing stuff I never did before. I gained 10, 11 pounds of muscle. I don't know what type of player I'm going to be. I just know that I'm going to be very good."

While this is great news, it would be even better if Rose put a timetable out for a possible comeback.

Maybe Not This Season

Rose’s comments on if he would play during the 2012-13 campaign were vague. He stated, “It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be any time. It's just that I'm not coming back until I'm ready," as per Zillgitt.

Nevertheless, a source close to the situation told the ESPN Chicago staff that it’s about a “50-50” chance he returns this season.

The insider went on to talk about how Rose clearly isn’t ready and needs more rehabilitation before he comes back at full strength:

"

You're not jeopardizing winning a championship, but you're jeopardizing Derrick's career if he plays and gets hurt again. A lot of people are seeing him doing 1-on-1 or 2-on-2, but he's not ready. He's not 100 percent yet.

"

The source is right in that it would be absolutely foolish to risk the future of the organization in a desperate attempt to win a championship this year (one that seems to belong to LeBron James and the Miami Heat regardless).

Popovich Chimes In

Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurs, was asked about how the Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau should adapt to having Rose back in the lineup after so long without him.

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Pop had quite a bit of advice:

"

For him as an individual, everyone knows about rhythm and confidence, blah, blah, blah, but for the team it’s a readjustment because everyone gets used to each other in a different way, You’re used to the way the spacing is and who is in different spaces, who comes in when, who you’re playing with, who that group is on the floor, and now it changes.

"

Considering Chicago is only managing to score a meager 93.6 points per game, messing with the chemistry isn’t likely to set the point scoring back too far. However, the team is third in the NBA in points allowed with 91.9 and has to maintain its defensive identity in order to win a title.

Rose is a decent defender and a world-class scorer, so we imagine his return will be welcomed by teammates happy to make adjustments for him.