Derrick Rose sat out of the Bulls’ preseason game against the Wizards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee.
Team personnel made sure to point out that this was simply a precautionary measure; there was nothing structurally wrong with Rose’s knee, and no MRI was scheduled.
Rose seemed to confirm the lack of severity to his condition after the game had finished, when he told reporters that he could have played, but the front office made the decision to hold him out.
From K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:“I’m good,” Rose said. “I could’ve played, but the front office made the decision to sit me out. I can’t complain about it. It’s nothing huge. I know that I should be able to go next game.” ...
“If there’s soreness, then we’re going to rest,” [Bulls GM Gar Forman] said. “Any time you’re dealing with any type of injury or soreness you’re concerned. But it’s not a major red flag or huge concern.”
Rose said he knows he will be ready for the regular-season opener in just more than two weeks against the Heat and added he wasn’t startled or nervous about this speed bump.
“You wouldn’t expect it to happen,” he said. “But when it does happen, you can’t be down on it. I know that it’s feeling better day-by-day. I’m just trying to stay positive.”Given the fact that Rose missed all of last season with the knee injury, anything related to it that causes him to miss time in the future will undoubtedly be highly scrutinized. But it is just the preseason, which makes it the perfect time for Rose to get this type of thing out of the way before the real games begin.
