Derrick Rose Has Reportedly Decided to Sit Out the Remainder of the Playoffs


Well, if this is true—this Yahoo! Sports report doesn’t cite Derrick Rose directly, but rather an unidentified source—it should put an end to speculation that was sure to be hanging over every Bulls game from here on out. According to Yahoo!, D-Rose has privately decided to sit out for the remainder of the Playoffs: “For the good of his franchise and fans, for everyone’s focus to be where it should belong now – Bulls-Heat, Game 1 on Monday – Rose needs to drop the illusion that his return in these playoffs remains a consideration. ‘Who knows?’ Rose told reporters hours on Saturday. ‘It’s still up in the air.’ Who knows? Derrick Rose knows. His choice has been made to sit out the season and it includes no provisions for turning back, sources with direct knowledge told Yahoo! Sports. Inside and outside of the organization, that isn’t much of a revelation. After all, the surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee was May 12, 2012. Doctors cleared him to start scrimmaging with the team in mid-February. After all that, he isn’t walking out for the first time with LeBron James and the Miami Heat waiting to jump him. Between Rose and the public, this has become a tiresome dance. His brother, Reggie, recently said Derrick could return in the second round. Only, Reggie’s brother isn’t returning in the conference semifinals, or the conference finals, or the NBA Finals. He is sitting out the season. … Make no mistake: The issue shouldn’t be Rose’s unwillingness to play until he believes his reconstructed knee meets his standards, but rather this charade of refusing to rule out his return in these playoffs.”