Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose had surgery for a facial fracture on Wednesday and the team received some positive news following the procedure. According to Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg, the surgery for Rose went as planned and while there is no official timetable, it is possible that Rose could return for opening night in a month.
Rose suffered the injury on the first day of practice for the Bulls after reportedly getting an elbow to the face. Rose was taken to the hospital and surgery was performed on Wednesday. According to Kevin Ding at Bleacher Report, Hoiberg said that Rose is in "great spirits" following the surgery and that he "might be back" in time for the opening night game for Chicago. Rose has dealt with numerous injuries over the past few years, including multiple knee issues that forced him to miss large chunks of two seasons.
Hoiberg sounded hopeful in his quotes and even if Rose can't return for opening night, it doesn't sound like he will miss an extended period of time if he returns after that. Pro Basketball Talk reports that there is "no timetable" yet for a return for Rose, but that the "surgery went as expected." Sean Highkin reported for the website that Hoiberg said the injury was not "structural damage" and that once things are "healed, he'll be ready to go."
The Bulls have dealt with playing without Rose for quite a bit the past few years and the fact that he will not miss a huge chunk of time has to be comforting for the team despite the serious injury. The roster has Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks as backup options and those two could see some starts and added playing time as Rose returns. Rose likely will need a mask when he comes back, but he likely is happy that the injury was not another knee issue.
Last season Rose played in 51 games and dealt with some knee issues, but he made it through the season and the playoffs without any major setbacks. Rose now has the chance to recover and he could be back in time for the first game of the season. Jimmy Butler was already going to be the focus of this team moving forward and now he can take that mantle even more.