The Chicago Bulls are thrilled about the return this season of former MVP Derrick Rose and it appears the point guard is back to full strength after coming back from serious knee surgery and the star said to reporters that he feels even better now than he did before the injury.
According to ESPN.com, Rose spoke with reporters during the preseason about how he feels on the court and after scoring 22 points in the last game for the team against the Pistons, he said that feels "more explosive" now than he did before the injury. Rose added 22 points in 22 minutes played in the game against the Pistons and he said that getting to the rim has felt better and that after being worried about his injury at the end of the playoffs last season, now he feels ready to be back to full strength.
Rose said that he was ready to get back on the court for the team and that the mental part of the injury was tough to deal with on top of the physical part. Rose has only played in three games over the past year in change and he enters the season as one of the favorites for MVP and the Bulls feel that they can knock off the Miami Heat now that their star is back in the fold. The teams matched up in the playoffs last season and the Bulls won the first game before losing the next four and many felt that Rose should have been playing, but he stayed out of the series and it likely was for good reason, as the team wasn't going to win a championship and now he appears to be healthier than ever.
Rose said that his vertical leap is better now than it was before and although he sat out of the preseason game in Brazil after dealing with some soreness, he said it was not an issue and that he is not "worried" about the knee anymore. Rose said that he has his mind on an NBA championship and that is the main goal for the team this season and that he will be looking to knock off the Miami Heat, much like everyone else in the NBA.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Rose said that he wouldn't mind playing for team USA at the Olympics in 2016 and that he would love to play for them in Brazil and also at the World Championships in Spain next year. Rose said that he would love to try out and play for the team, although now he is totally focused on the upcoming season.
