Derrick Rose isn’t the only Bull who had some unexpected surgery.
Pau Gasol had nasal surgery this summer to aid his breathing, he told media after the Bulls training camp practice Monday. From our own Sean Highkin who was at the practice:
If how Gasol played at EuroBasket – where he was the tournament MVP, led Spain to the title, and dropped 40 in the semi-finals on Rudy Gobert and France — the surgery has worked. He was forced to take on a heavy load for Spain and was able to handle it.
Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time Gasol looked fantastic playing for his country and less so when the NBA season started up again. Taking on a heavy load for one tournament is one thing, doing so for an 82-game regular season plus playoffs is another. New coach Fred Hoiberg was hired in part to reduce the physical load on players.
What the Bulls need is that EuroBasket Gasol come the playoffs (and a healthy Derrick Rose, and Gasol and Joakim Noah to blend, and a few other things). Gasol thinks his game ages well.