It’s no secret that many Bulls fans are still hoping Derrick Rose makes an appearance on the basketball court this season. Part of that hope comes from Rose’s own refusal to rule himself out and the fact that Chicago is matched up with the Miami Heat, the team's chief rival that knocked them out of the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago.
However, logic would suggest that after not playing competitive basketball in over a year, coming back in the second round of the NBA Playoffs against a team trying to repeat as champions doesn’t make good sense from a basketball perspective.
And if D. Rose were to return, the Heat certainly wouldn’t take it easy on him, nor should anyone expect them to.
“If he does [return in the series], we'll try to be as aggressive as we normally are,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said in a recent interview with ESPN.
With the way the Heat swarm on the defensive side of the ball, and without his timing and feel for the game after having to played in over a year – not even Tom Thibodeau’s practices can simulate a real NBA game – Rose would be less than effective in that scenario.
"I'd be surprised [if Derrick Rose plays]," Chris Bosh said. "But that's totally his decision. If he does, we're going to make it tough on him."
The intensity of the playoffs and the way teams compete would make it very difficult for anyone coming off a serious injury, and even more so against a team like the Heat. If D. Rose is out there on the court thinking instead of doing what comes naturally, there is a chance he could get hurt again, despite the opinions of those who feel that being cleared medically by a doctor means the risk of re-injury is minimal.
Basketball is a game of instinct and rhythm. It has it’s own flow. If a player is not in tune with the game, there’s going to be very little chance of being successful playing it, even for someone as talented as Derrick Rose.
