Derrick Rose Injury Update: Bulls Star to Make Preseason Debut vs. Mavericks

Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg announced star point guard Derrick Rose is set to make his preseason debut Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks.  

Bulls play-by-play announcer Chuck Swirsky passed along the announcement from Hoiberg. Rose had been sidelined after suffering an orbital fracture when he was struck in the face by an elbow during practice late last month.

His playing time will be limited at the outset. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune noted that the Bulls only expect him to play a few four- of five-minute stretches against the Mavs. That said, Hoiberg stated his chances of playing in the opener increase if he reacts positively to the return, per Johnson.

Sam Smith of NBA.com provided comments from Rose on Thursday. He admitted there were still some lingering issues with double vision, but enough progress had been made to get back into competition barring any setbacks: "Every day I'm improving. The eye itself, the swelling, is going down. Practice has been going well. Been practicing pretty hard. If everything is all right tomorrow, I'm going to play a little bit."

He's energized to give it a go, even though he's not sure what to expect, according to Johnson:

Rose averaged 17.7 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds across 51 games last season. Those numbers aren't all the way back to the MVP level he showcased during the 2010-11 season (25 points and 7.7 assists), but having him on the court is still a serious boost for Chicago.

How he'll respond to game action is the biggest question mark after the latest in a long string of injuries. That's why it's smart for the Bulls to give him a taste of action Friday night in the final preseason contest. It should give him a good feel for whether not not he'll be ready to roll next week.

Chicago opens the regular season with a high-profile clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 27.