The big question in the Chicago Bulls season has been whether or not superstar point guard Derrick Rose will come back from his injured knee suffered in last season’s playoffs. He has been rumored to be close ever since the All-Star break back in February. Yet here we are with a only a handful of games left in the regular season, and still no Rose.

Some have hinted he is physically ready to play and that it is the mental part he needs to overcome. Some have suggested the only way to see if he can play, is to go play. They’ve said he will never be 100% sure until he goes out onto the court in a game situation, makes some cuts and hits the deck a time or two. Only then, will he know.

There may be some merit in that. But, what nobody knows is what it feels like inside D-Rose’s body. Only he can know that. If something is telling him he’s not ready, then he is  not ready.

Dwight Howard made a great point earlier this year when he was catching heat from Kobe Bryant for not playing with a torn labium. His response was that he only gets one career and if he goes out and hurts himself worse, nobody is going to take care of him after he’s done. The Lakers will move on without him though.

That is a good point. The Chicago Bulls are not going anywhere anytime soon, with or without Rose. Want proof? They moved on after Michael Jordan. Never has there been a great player in the history of basketball than Jordan. But the Bulls didn’t close up shop after he couldn’t do it anymore. The Celtics didn’t fold up after Larry Bird. The Lakers went on after Magic Johnson. The Cleveland Cavaliers still play games in the post-Lebron James era. That’s just the way it is.

A player should never rush an injury and risk further injury to try and win now. Even the Washington Nationals understood this last baseball season when they may have sacrificed a possible World Series title but felt it was more important to keep their star pitcher Steven Strasburg healthy. They stuck to a strict maximum number of innings, despite harsh criticism, some of which came from Strasburg himself.

Derrick Rose should come back when he feels he is ready, and not until then. The Bulls can chase championships next year and the following years.

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