Source: Jonathan Daniel / Getty
According to Yahoo Sports, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told the media that Rose would only play for about 20 minutes against Orlando on Wednesday. Chicago has five games left in its season, which wraps up one week from Wednesday.
Rose then met with the media, via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
“I’ve been putting a lot of work in, busting my ass to get back,” Rose said before shootaround. “I’m just happy that I’m able to come back to a team where I think we’re playing all right basketball. I think defensively we’re playing good. Offensively, I shouldn’t have to worry about it, just come back and play the way I normally play.”
The Bulls don’t know which play Rose re-tore his right meniscus on in late February, just that the meniscus would have to be repaired for the second time in 16 months. Rose underwent a shorter operation this time, one that will be more damaging to his future prospects but would leave him with a quicker recovery time. Rose is nearly six weeks removed from his Feb. 27 surgery:
“This one is totally different than my last ones. I was only out six weeks,” Rose said. “The other ones I was out four or five months. I just have to pace myself this time. I got a lot of confidence in myself. But who knows how many games it’s going to take me (to find rhythm). All I can do is just continue to work on my game and push my teammates for this playoff run.
“It gave me a little time to rest. Everybody else is beating each other up. I’m coming in fresh. I will come in better. So it’s a little bit of excitement on my end.”
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