Bulls GM denies rift between Derrick Rose and the organization regarding his return

It’s easy to see how the return of Derrick Rose from a torn ACL injury that has kept him out the entire season to this point has become a stress-filled situation for both sides.

Rose has already earned an MVP trophy in his brief, four-year stint in the league. He’s a top-tier, elite level player when healthy, so the organization obviously wants him back on the court just as soon as he’s physically ready.

The consternation has arisen because a report has surfaced that Rose has been medically cleared to return to action.

Rumors that he’s being pressured to play have surfaced as well, even though Rose has told the team he doesn’t feel ready to take the court just yet.

Add in his brother’s comments from a couple of weeks back, and we have the makings of a full-blown controversy.

The reality, however, is that Rose and the organization are, and have always been on the same page regarding his health. Everyone has said that Rose will come back whenever he’s fully ready to do so, and whenever that is will be just fine.

Bulls GM Gar Forman reiterated that on Saturday, stating for the record that no rift exists between Rose’s camp and the organization regarding his getting back on the court.

From Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune:

Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman denied Saturday that there is any kind of  communications rift between Derrick Rose’s camp and the organization regarding the return date for the all-star guard from his knee injury.

“We talk all the time. We have been in communication throughout the whole process. High-level communication,” Forman told the Tribune before scouting the DePaul-Pittsburgh game at Allstate Arena.

“From Day One, the communication has been consistent and it has been very encouraging. There have been no setbacks and (Rose) continues to make progress,” he said.

Forman said he would not comment on an ESPNChicago.com report that attributed a source as saying Rose has medical clearance to resume playing after suffering a torn ACL 10 months ago.

“I don’t comment on what a source says,” Forman replied.

The follow-up question to ask, obviously, would have been to say “well, has he in fact been medically cleared to play?” But even then, the response matters little in the grand scheme of things.

Rose is all about basketball, and wants to be out there just as much as anyone else wants him to be. He is a genuine individual who truly seems to value the love of the game over all else, and based on everything we’ve seen and heard from him, he will play again for the Bulls the second he feels he’s able to do so.

As an aside, a popular argument that’s surfaced recently goes something along the lines of, “hey, the Bulls aren’t going to win a championship this year, so Rose should just sit out the season.”

Do you know how stupid that sounds?

I hate to break it to those who agree with that line of thinking, but only three teams have a true shot at a championship this season barring freak injuries — the Heat, the Thunder, and the Spurs. That’s it. So does that mean that any player injured on one of the league’s 27 non-championship contenders should simply sit out the rest of the season, even if they’re physically able to come back and play? Of course not.

The pressure is going to continue to build until Rose does make his eventual return to the court. It’s going to come this season, and will likely be before the playoffs begin. Only then will the rumors and speculation subside, but either way, Rose isn’t going to come back until he’s fully ready, and the Bulls organization isn’t foolish enough to push him to come back any sooner than that.