Bulls 'hope' Rose will be ready opening night
Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is hopeful star point guard Derrick Rose will be ready in time for opening night after the three-time All-Star suffered an orbital fracture on the first day of training camp.
Hoiberg, speaking to the media at practice Wednesday, revealed that Rose didn't sustain any structural damage, while leaving the door open for Rose to play Oct. 27 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hoiberg: "We hope" Rose will be ready to play opening night.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) September 30, 2015
Rose's latest setback continues an improbable run of poor luck for the 2011 MVP. Rose caught an errant elbow in practice, adding to the frustration for Bulls fans eager to see the guard maximize his potential with the franchise.
And now this will have "orbital fracture surgery" soon on the list ... the Derrick Rose career injury chart. pic.twitter.com/HxdBm2JJ0X
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 29, 2015
It's all been downhill for Rose and the Bulls over the past four seasons. Rose has played just 90 games since becoming the youngest-ever league MVP at age 22.
Still, Rose showed enough flashes of promise in a 51-game stint to give Bulls fans hope last season. Rose was noticeably more tentative, trading his signature drives to the basket for out-of-character pull-up jumpers, but Rose still managed per-36 averages of 21.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.
The bottom line for Chicago is that Rose is once again out of commission and, while he might return in time for opening day, he won't have the benefit of training camp to acclimate himself in a new offense under Hoiberg.
In Rose's absence, the Bulls will turn to backup guards Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich to run the point, while point guard-hopeful Jimmy Butler, who took a rather matter-of-fact stance towards Rose's comments on free agency, is also in line for more touches.