Bulls vs. Magic: What to Watch for as Derrick Rose Makes Yet Another Return

Derrick Rose will make yet another highly-anticipated return to action tonight, as the Chicago Bulls travel to Orlando to take on the Magic. 

Rose is returning from his second torn meniscus, after an injury earlier this season. The injury was initially expected to sideline him indefinitely--perhaps until next year--but Rose was able to recover more quickly than expected. 

Rose has battled a seemingly endless stream of injuries since his MVP campaign during the 2010-11 season. I wrote about this six weeks ago, but to give a quick recap: Rose tore his ACL during the 2011-12 playoffs, and missed the entire following season. He followed that by tearing his meniscus in November of 2013; after reparative surgery, Rose again tore the same ligament in a game earlier this season. 

So, what does this mean for the Bulls? And what should fans expect from Rose tonight?

First, fans should pay close attention to Rose's minutes. 

Per Basketball-Reference.com, Rose has never averaged fewer than 30 minutes per game. But his minutes per game have steadily declined over the past four years --from 37.4 MPG in 2010-11 to 31 MPG over the past two seasons. This is hardly unexpected, given his injury history. Yet, Tom Thibodeau will be under scrutiny for the way he uses Rose for the remainder of the current season.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Thibodeau plans to limit Rose to about 20 minutes of action in tonight’s game. But that strategy may change if Rose demonstrates a full recovery, or if Chicago starts to struggle with the playoffs right around the corner. 

The Bulls have consistently managed to outperform expectations during Rose’s many absences. Tossing Rose immediately into a major role would not only increase the likelihood of a repeat injury, but may not give the Bulls their best shot at victory.

Chicago fans should also look ahead to the team's likely first-round matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. Of the six Bucks who play the most minutes, four are guards: Brandon Knight (the team’s star point guard), Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton, and O.J. Mayo.

While Carter-Williams’ numbers reflect his time in Philadelphia earlier this season, there can be little doubt that Rose makes life tougher for all opposing guards. And while the Bucks’ offense is fairly balanced--forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker both average more than 12 points per game--it starts with Knight. Dribble penetration is key for any NBA offense, and Rose’s biggest impact may come on the defensive end. 

Even if Rose takes a while to return to peak form, he remains one of the most athletic and aggressive defenders in the league.

Either way, fans should be glad that Rose is back. He will almost certainly make this year's playoffs more interesting. If he's healthy, the Bulls are suddenly very intriguing.