Watching RG3 Play, D. Rose Made Right Decision to Sit

Two explosive athletes with the same knee injury, and the differences between their decision to play or not

Derrick Rose’s decision to sit last season drew disappointment from fans and speculation the Chicago Bulls star wasn’t really a leader.

With every Bulls loss – especially in the playoffs against Miami – and every dunk D. Rose threw down in pre-game warmups, more and more was made of his decision to sit on the bench wearing a suit instead of suiting up to play.

And although football and basketball are two different sports, watching Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III perform the last two Sundays, it’s a clear indication that Rose’s decision to sit last season was the right one.

The role of the quarterback in football and the point guard in basketball are similar: run the offense, make plays, and make your teammates better. But eight months after surgery, ‘RG3’ doesn’t seem to be able to do any of those things, mostly because he appears to still be favoring his surgically repaired knee.

He doesn’t look to be as comfortable and confident on the field as he did prior to his injury, and although he is a capable pocket passer, Griffin III’s ability to make plays is rooted in his explosive athleticism. That’s what makes him the elite NFL player that he is.

In the NBA, Derrick Rose is the same way. His greatness lies in his freakish athleticism and explosion to the basket. But take away those physical and athletic advantages, and the player who was once seen as a sort of ‘Superman,’ becomes just a mere mortal, especially as the physical limitations eventually begins to take a mental toll.

That’s not beneficial to the player, it certainly doesn’t help the team, and unfortunately, not everyone is Adrian Peterson, who has given people the impression that an ACL tear isn't that serious of an injury.

It’s admirable that Robert Griffin III has chosen to take the field and try and help his team win games, but he’s clearly not making much of an impact as the Redskins currently sit at 0-2, although granted, it’s still early in the season.

Derrick Rose chose not to return until he was fully comfortable playing basketball again, which it appears he now is. Chicago Bulls fans may not have been happy about it, but if he’s able to come back and be the player he once was, they’ll no doubt come to accept that it was the right decision and the wait for him to don his No. 1 jersey again will have been well worth it.

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