Derrick Rose Offers Optimism but Not Much Clarity on Return from Knee Surgery

CHICAGO — Now, the waiting game begins again.

Derrick Rose’s first public comments since his third knee surgery in three years offered a lot of optimism, but not much in the way of specifics on a recovery timeline, as is to be expected.

“I feel good,” Rose said before Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, his first time speaking to reporters since undergoing surgery to repair a torn right medial meniscus on Feb. 27. “I’m in a positive place right now. Just trying to keep it positive and get the most out of these days.”

It was exactly the sort of response we’ve come to expect from Rose, who has been careful—at times to a fault—to temper expectations. Privately, he’s much more optimistic than he lets on about returning sooner rather than later, and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau described Rose’s rehab as “right on schedule.”

However minor this injury may be compared to the other two, it’s yet another setback for Rose, a roadblock in a comeback that still can’t get off the ground.

Paul Beaty/Associated Press

“I think when I had the previous two injuries, I think I learned from them,” Rose said. “This time around, I think I’m learning. It’s still the same scenario where, like I said, I didn’t work on my balance from the beginning.

"I mean, I didn’t work on my balance last time good enough, and this time around, I think that I have to work on that a little more. Like I said, it could be a blessing in disguise. The way that I’ve been playing, the way that I’ve been shooting, this may lead to something good.”

Even on Rose’s best days this season, he’s never felt entirely healthy. When he walked, he felt a pinch in his right knee. He has no idea when the tear occurred—there was no defining moment on the court as there was in the 2012 playoffs and in November 2013 in Portland. But he estimates that he hasn’t been healthy since at least January.

“I’ve probably been playing on it for a month,” Rose said. “I remember feeling something in Golden State and who knows? That could have been a sign telling me that something was wrong, and that was a month and two weeks ago. So, who knows when it happened? It could have happened that game, the previous game, who knows?”

That would certainly explain his up-and-down play this season.

Rose had a procedure this time to remove part of the meniscus in his knee. The removal procedure means a faster recovery time, but a greater potential for long-term health repercussions.

But Rose is through with that. He’s taken the long view twice before, and that hasn’t done anything for him. He’s not going to rush back onto the court before he’s fully recovered, but he says he plans to play this season, a sign that he realizes his and the Bulls’ window won’t be there forever.

When he realized the seriousness of this latest injury, Rose says he didn’t dwell too much on his continued misfortunes. The last three years and everything else he’s been through have made it hard for him to focus on the negative.

“I wouldn’t say I’m angry,” he said. “There’s nobody to be angry at. I think that I put the most into all of my workouts. I think I put the most into coming back last time. That’s the only thing I could do. I feel good with how hard I’ve been working. I feel good with where the team is. I feel good with how I’m handling everything. Like I said, just trying to stay positive and stay strong.”

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

It helps when Rose’s fans do things like create murals and hold a vigil in Chicago to pray for his recovery. He seemed genuinely taken aback when asked about the #Pray4Rose display that showed up in his hometown over the weekend.

“Oh wow,” he said. “Wow. That’s what I mean. I can’t be mad or upset or devastated about anything. I know I have people out there that really love me and really care about me as a person.”

Even if Rose comes back before the season ends, there’s going to be a readjustment period, both for him and his teammates.

Again, more optimism from Rose.

“When I step out there, I’m going to play the way I normally play,” he said. “Throw caution to the wind, play normal, and like I said, I put a lot of work into my body. This time around, work on balance a little bit more. Last time, I think I stopped doing that in the beginning stage. This time, I think I’m going to do that a little bit more, and get the most out of it.”

The Bulls’ title hopes aren’t dead yet, but they’re on life support. They need Rose healthy, but they also need Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, both of whom are currently out with injuries of their own. Rose has already started writing his own underdog story for the team, basing it on the group that prevailed before Rose’s knees gave out on him, when he was still the league MVP.

“The year that the Dallas Mavericks won [in 2011], nobody had them making it that far in the playoffs, let alone win the championship. I think that we’re talented like they were that year. It’s all about just getting us all out on the court together, playing with [each other].”

That Mavericks team was a lot healthier than this Bulls squad has been. They lost Caron Butler, yes, but the injuries the Bulls have dealt with this season would have been the equivalent of that team losing Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler and still winning the title.

Still, however little Rose wants to reveal about his return plans, he’s optimistic he’ll be back out there soon, and he has plenty of faith—however misplaced—that his teammates can contend without him.

“Who knows,” Rose said. “When we’re put up against that wall, we may show something special.”

Sean Highkin covers the Chicago Bulls for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @highkin.