Minutes Restriction for Derrick Rose Is Helpful, but Not Foolproof
Moderation is the tenet for the second return of Derrick Rose, as the Chicago Bulls training staff has decided to indefinitely limit his playing time for the 2014-15 NBA season. This is understandable, considering that the superstar has effectively missed two years’ worth of basketball, but it is not a surefire safeguard against anything that could truncate yet another run.
This is not to imply that the restraint is unnecessary. At the end of the day, this franchise needs to know that they are taking every sensible precaution they can to ensure that the legs upon which their title hopes depend are both primed and protected.
Despite the relative success of the last couple of sans-Derrick seasons, benching him outright doesn’t make sense. Even with the great additions that came out of the 2014 draft class and free-agency pool, the best chance for winning still requires having Rose on the floor.
On the other hand, letting him go full throttle seems pretty reckless. His conditioning has been impressive ever since he laced up for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup; however, the 26-year-old still has to reacquaint himself with the tedium of the NBA schedule.
So the Bulls will try to walk that fine line of temperance while hoping for all of the benefits and none of the pitfalls.
Avoiding Murphy’s Law
The gaping flaw in the logic behind curbing Rose’s playing time is that his presence on the floor automatically makes him susceptible to the dings and traumas he’d rather avoid. It’s quite the conundrum.
Presently, the former Memphis Tiger is clocking in at 28 minutes per game; his average over his first four years is 36.6 minutes. That reduction might seem slight, but it amounts to three-fourths of a basketball quarter. A lot of action can be packed into that frame.
But that doesn’t take Rose completely out of the woods. He is on the court for a little more than half of a game and still has a very kinetic, explosive playing style. Each time he lowers his shoulders to execute a quick crossover, each time he gathers himself to attack the rim, the three-time All-Star is putting himself at risk for further injury.
While the erstwhile MVP’s time on the floor can be contained, his playing style cannot. His ACL tear happened while driving to the rim; he tore his meniscus making a sudden stop to cut up the court.
The November 13 contest against the Toronto Raptors included a subplot of Rose coming back after being held out due to sprained ankles in both legs; he strained his hamstring in the fourth quarter making a move to get past his defender.
Limits or not, the risk will always be there for unfavorable things to manifest. Its omnipresent looming makes for a pretty logical refutation of capping playing time. While that reasoning resonates when applied to the present moment, it overlooks the long-term advantages.
Delayed Gratification
Some things are being overlooked in the bumpy start Rose is experiencing—the biggest being the length of his absence. Every facet of the five-year veteran’s game has been out of commission since April 28, 2012, save for last season’s dreadfully abbreviated return.
In addition to re-establishing in-game play, his body needs to recalibrate itself. These early-season tweaks are part of what might be a series of hiccups; nevertheless, they should not detract from the team goal of winning a championship, which is very doable with this group.
This sentiment is held by the entire Bulls organization, from the management down to the players. In a write-up by Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago, head coach Tom Thibodeau stresses the need for patience:
"We understand people want to see him out there, but we don't want him out there until he's ready to be out there. He's got to work his way through this process. There's going to be some bumps in the road. It's going to work out fine. He's going to be terrific. We all have to believe that that's what's going to happen -- and it will happen.
"
The last two years have proven that the Bulls need Rose to play in zero games in order to make the postseason. It does them no good, though, if their gifted playmaker is not ready to go for the playoffs.
Sitting him down each time he takes a bump in the campaign’s first couple of trivial months saves wear and tear, helping to preserve the dynamic point guard for the stretch when each victory gets a team closer to a title—as opposed to just a higher seed.
Given that this squad has been lacking in recent years, it is easy to understand how some fans let their eagerness cloud their perspective. But there is one question that could quell the teeming exasperation:
Which month would you rather have Rose not playing: November or April?
Statistics via BasketballReference.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
