It’s been a while since someone notable has weighed in on Derrick Rose’s decision not to return from his ACL injury this season, and I figured it his name would stay out of the headlines a little longer, considering the Bulls’ next game is in October.
But Bradley Beal stepped up and filled the Rose-less void, and Wizards guard did so with quite a doozy while on 106.7 The Fan. As transcribed by Sarah Kogod of The Washington Post:When asked how he’d feel if a Wizards teammate made the same decision, Beal had to admit he’d lose some respect for that player.
“A little bit. Yeah, I would,” he said. “The type of player he is, and the mentality and competitiveness that he has, I think he would have gave it a go. I don’t know what was holding him back. I think he’s scared it’s probably going to happen again and he won’t be the same. But you’re never the same after an injury. But you just have to fight through it and do something else to be able to impact the game. I’m not sure what it is he has to do. I really can’t speak for him.”
I wondered whether any Bulls lost respect for Rose, though I think it matters at least none of them said publically they did. It’s more difficult to lose respect for someone you know well, and that would apply to Rose’s teammates and not Beal, so Beal isn’t necessarily portraying the mindset of NBA players in Chicago.
Though it’s now fair to question whether Rose has lost some of his edge, it seems his teammates haven’t forgotten the many times he showed his toughness. And Beal just gave Rose another opportunity to prove himself. When the Wizards and Bulls play next season, we’ll see how scared Rose is.