With NBA contenders "resting" their superstars in advance of the Playoffs, considering Derrick Rose's recent battles with the injury bug, suggestions have begun to sprout throughout the media that maybe the Bulls should sit their All-Star for the remaining games on the regular season schedule and get him ready for the Playoffs.
In a vacuum, that argument makes sense. But considering what Chicago has been through already this season with regard to injuries, if Derrick feels healthy enough to play, he should lace up his adidas and go out there with the rest of his teammates.
Every NBA team has been bitten by the injury bug in some form or fashion this season and when you squeeze 66 games into the span of four months, that's going to happen.
Chicago's starters -- as a unit -- have played in just 11 regular season contests so far. The injuries to Rose (toe, back, groin, ankle), Rip Hamilton (leg, hip, shoulder) and Luol Deng (wrist) has given Tom Thibodeau's starting lineup virtually no chance to develop the level of chemistry they should already have by now as we approach the upcoming postseason.
The prevailing thought with sitting Rose is the way the Bulls have played so well without him this season. Deactivating Derrick the last eight games of the year couldn't hurt, right? The team clinched a Playoff spot two weeks ago, what is there to lose? Why should he play? Why not rest him until he's 100 percent healthy?
The answer to the last question is simple: because he won't be 100 percent healthy. Not this season. Rose is still receiving treatment for the areas of his body that are hurting and he'll continue to do so up until the Bulls have played their last game. So if Chicago's training staff needs to use Band-Aids™ and duct tape to get him out on the floor for the last eight games, then so be it.
You can't use the Playoffs to start trying to develop on-court chemistry. That's a recipe for disaster and an invitation for an early exit.
Sure, the Bulls might be one of the deeper teams in the league, but they still need time to jell with one another just like any other NBA squad. And no, what's left of the season isn't enough time to get them at the level they should be with regard to chemistry, but any time the starters are given to play together should be viewed as a positive.
