Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose will be out of action for eight to 12 months as a result of the torn ACL he suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, after undergoing surgery to repair the ligament, doctors are optimistic that he will be able to regain all the strength back to his knee.
"Statistically, he should be that player and then some. That doesn't mean he's guaranteed," said team physician Dr. Brian Cole.
Rose sustained in the waning minutes of the first game of the 2012 NBA playoffs. After driving down the line, he came to a jump stop and his leg buckled before he crashed into the floor. There was 1:20 left in the game the Bulls would go on to win.
The No. 1 seed Bulls were considered by many to be the favorite to win the Eastern Conference Championship and possibly the NBA championship. Without Rose, last season's league MVP, the Bulls lost to the 76ers in six games, becoming just the fifth top seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in NBA history.
Rose, who averaged 21.8 points and 7.9 assists per game, missed 27 games this season due to various ailments including back, toe, groin, ankle and foot problems. The team went 18-9 without him during the regular season but floundered in the playoffs once he was gone, losing four out of five games.
Rose's recovery will take a substantial amount of time. In addition to the ACL tear, doctors also found damage to his meniscus cartilage, the tissue in between the lower and upper leg. "The ligament is one thing and the meniscus is another," said Cole, "getting all the things to heal appropriately is really our goal in the early phases. Then, it's rehab, conditioning, getting his brain connected to his knee, basically."
Following treatment, players generally start running and shooting after three months.
The diagnosis means that Rose is likely to miss the first two months of next season and could possibly be out the entire 2012-2013 campaign. But the Bulls won't rush him back, even if the team struggles.
"Our thinking in general long-term won't change at all," says Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. "But short term obviously you don't replace Derrick, and what he brings to the team and the production he's got."