Derrick Rose is back running under his own power and still holds out hope that he will be able to return to the court for the Chicago Bulls at some point this season.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports the former league MVP has met one of his own biggest thresholds and is being allowed to do more and more each day. Two weeks ago, Rose told reporters “when I get off the anti-gravity treadmill, that’s when I’ll consider coming back.”
With the apparatus now largely in his rear-view mirror and actual basketball drills becoming a bigger part of his rehab, Rose seems to be holding firm to his vow of getting back on the court with his recently surging teammates as soon as possible.
“He’s doing some running, yeah,’’ even always guarded coach Tom Thibodeau shared with the Sun-Times. “He’s off the anti-gravity treadmill. Still on it at times, but he’s full-weight now and doing lateral slides and things like that.”
The 25-year-old All-Star guard suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee in early December and the team immediately deemed the youngest MVP in league history out for the remainder of the season.
While management continues to stress nothing about that timetable has officially changed, all seem in agreement that Rose’s apparent speedy rehab bodes well for his long-term goals, including hopefully competing for USA Basketball later this summer.
“Yeah, for sure,’’ said Rose when asked if that course of action remains in his plans. “If my leg is feeling healthy and I’m there, I’m all in. Of course, I want to play for that team. Playing for that team helped the year I won MVP, just getting in a groove. So I’m excited if I am able to play in it.’’
That development, in and off itself, could find Rose back on the practice floor with his teammates sooner rather than later. To shake away some of the rust, Rose will almost certainly want to scrimmage and compete full-court before going up against some of the league’s other best players.
“In the end, if it makes sense for him to practice, that’s what he’ll do,’’ Thibodeau said. “But he’s doing great.’’
