The Chicago Bulls are preparing to deal with a harsh reality yet again. The team entered the season as favorites to win the Eastern Conference after they got back a healthy Derrick Rose and added players like Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic to bolster depth and size. Things were going well as Chicago continued to look the part of contenders, but once again injuries could derail the season as Rose prepares to undergo knee surgery for the third straight season.
The Chicago Bulls confirmed on Tuesday that Rose suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee and will be forced to under surgery after an MRI revealed the injury. This is simply another bullet point on the injury resume for Rose who suffered a torn ACL in 2012. He missed the entire season before returning to play 10 games and then injuring his right knee which knocked him out for the remainder of the season as well. Now Rose could once again be done for the year as the recovery timetable is projected to be much longer.
ESPN reports the Bulls and Rose decided it was wiser to fix the torn meniscus instead of cutting the damaged part out of the knee in order to attempt to elongate Rose's career in the future. Right now, it is simply a feeling of disbelief in the organization regarding this injury to Rose considering the amount of rehab and work he has put in to get healthy.
The loss of Rose will impact the Bulls and their playoff hopes this season. Rose is simply not easy to replace. According to ESPN, the team will first look to add a veteran point guard to the mix from the free agent market. Nate Robinson could be the favorite considering he has played for the Bulls in the past. Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich can also expect to carry more minutes in Rose's absence. That will at least take care of the short-term issues before free agency begins in the offseason.
A contract for Jimmy Butler must be the priority in the summer. The shooting guard is enjoying plenty of success this season, but is scheduled to be a restricted free agent in 2015 and will garner plenty of interest from other teams. The Bulls and Butler attempted to negotiate a contract extension prior to the season beginning, but that got nowhere. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the Bulls plan on giving Butler a max contract and that must continue to be the top priority. The shooting guard is a player to build around especially with uncertainty in Rose.
Players like Taj Gibson can also expect to stick around for the long-term. There was belief that he could be traded either at the mid-season deadline or in the upcoming offseason, but Gibson is scoring depth off the bench and needed now more than ever. Joakim Noah is also battling lingering injuries so having Gibson pair with Gasol and Mirotic is key. It is hard to see the Bulls making a long postseason run at this point and this injury could lead to major changes in the offseason.
