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Derrick Rose injury update: Out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

Derrick Rose injury update: Out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

The Chicago Bulls announced today that guard Derrick Rose underwent a successful meniscectomy earlier this morning to repair a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. The procedure was performed by Bulls head team physician Dr. Brian Cole at Rush Surgicenter.

“This morning’s procedure went great,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “Derrick is expected to make a full recovery and he is anticipated to return to play in four to six weeks.”

Taking history into account, 4-6 weeks sounds pretty optimistic. We’ve been through this before, sadly, but logic suggests D-Rose and the Bulls should take it slow, and ease him back into the mix.

Derrick Rose surgery should be soon

Derrick Rose surgery should be soon

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on injured Bulls guard Derrick Rose, whose latest round of knee surgery should happen very soon. And once it does, more will be known on when he may return:

Late Tuesday night, the Bulls revealed that an MRI showed Rose would need surgery on the meniscus tear in his right knee that was first repaired last season. Multiple sources confirmed Wednesday night that because there was minimal swelling in the knee, team physician Brian Cole would conduct the surgery at the Gold Coast Surgicenter no later than Friday afternoon, with Thursday still a possibility.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said the organization knew that a second surgery on the knee was always a possibility.

“We don’t know exactly when it happened, other than he went to get the MRI after practice [Tuesday],’’ Thibodeau said. ‘‘So for us, first and foremost, it’s our concern for Derrick. Not only as a basketball player, but as a person. He’s been through a lot, he’s had to endure a lot and he’s gotten past a lot. It’s disappointing news, and we’re hopeful that everything will work out fine.”

Jimmy Butler plays limited minutes in 2015 All-Star game

Jimmy Butler plays limited minutes in 2015 All-Star game

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting on Jimmy Butler (Bulls), who played in the 2015 All-Star game but only got limited court time as he’s dealing with an injury:

Butler played only nine minutes and scored six points as he continued to be limited by a right shoulder strain that kept him out of Thursday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Butler said he spoke to Eastern Conference head coach Mike Budenholzer before the game about limiting his minutes and acknowledged that his shoulder felt “all right” after playing for the first time in almost a week.

“I wish I was 100 percent healthy so I could do a lot more,” Butler said. “But it was fun.”

For a player whose career has been defined in large part by his defensive accomplishments, Butler admitted that it was tough to be in a game in which defense was looked down upon.

“A few of my guys was like, ‘Yo, chill. Don’t do all of that,'” Butler said. “So I couldn’t be the player that I am.”

Gasol vs Gasol in All-Star game tonight

Here’s ESPN Chicago with a look at one of the most interesting storylines heading into tonight’s 2015 All-Star game, that Pau Gasol starts for the East while his brother Marc Gasol starts for the West:

The basketball world is caught up in the Gasol vs. Gasol storyline heading into Sunday night’s All-Star Game.

Even the king.

“I think it’s amazing,” Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James said, in regard to the fact that both Pau and Marc Gasol will be starting in Sunday’s game.

“I think it’s so awesome. I think it’s so cool, for the first time in our history, we see two brothers face off against each other in the All-Star Game. They’re great, both of them, Pau and Marc. They’re unbelievable, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

That seems to be the sentiment around the league. As the Gasol brothers continue to answer questions about their accomplishments from journalists all over the world, especially a crush from Spain that has chronicled their every move, it’s been interesting to listen to other All-Stars’ reactions about what the Gasols have accomplished.

Bulls beat Cavs, 2015 NBA All-Star set to begin

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose didn’t garner an All-Star berth, but he starred on Thursday in the league’s last game before the mid-season showcase.

Rose scored 30 points and handed out seven assists to lead the Bulls to a 113-98 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tony Snell contributed 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting for the Bulls and Pau Gasol — who did get an All-Star nod — notched his 14th straight double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Joakim Noah added 10 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists for Chicago, who head into the All-Star break leading the Cavs by 1 1/2 games atop the Central Division.

— AFP

Bulls set to enjoy comforts of home

The Chicago Bulls are about to enjoy a lot of home games. A nice opportunity to feel extra comfortable and rack up a stack of wins. Maybe. Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting:

As the Bulls return home for nine of the next 10 at the United Center, beginning with the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, swingman Jimmy Butler believes his team is playing with a little more urgency these days.

“Definitely,” he said. “Before you know it, the All-Star break is going to be over and then 30-something games left. Then it’s playoff time so there’s no time for mistakes and letups. We need to correct everything now.”

After six straight games on the road, it’s hard to see any kind of major progress. The Bulls dominated the Pelicans on Saturday night only after Anthony Davis injured his shoulder. They won Sunday night’s game only because the Magic disintegrated down the stretch. The only consistency over the past month for the Bulls is that they’ve been inconsistent. But in this year, after two wins on the road, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau will take them any way he can get them.

Taj Gibson says Bulls must practice harder

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting on the Bulls, who have been playing without center Joakim Noah lately, but still expect to perform a bit better than they have in recent games:

Lost amid Derrick Rose’s frustrated words after Monday night’s latest poor performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers was the fact Taj Gibson may have spoken the most telling words of the entire night.

Gibson doesn’t have the same clout that Rose does, but he is a six-year veteran who gives some of the most honest assessments in basketball. The power forward has been around for the entirety of Tom Thibodeau’s five-year tenure with the Bulls, a fact that made his comments so telling in the wake of one of the worst stretches in the Thibodeau era.

“We got to practice harder,” Gibson said. “We can’t be taking days off. We’re going to go through rough stretches, but we got to practice harder and we got to play with some energy.”

A Thibodeau-coached team playing without energy and not working hard seems incomprehensible given the success that he and his team have enjoyed over his tenure. After all, hard work has defined Thibodeau’s head-coaching career. For four years his players played hard almost every night. They played with a type of intensity and purpose that is not common on a nightly basis in the NBA.

Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry named NBA Players of Month for October/November, 2014

Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry were today named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November.

Butler led Chicago and ranked ninth in the NBA scoring (21.9 ppg) as the Bulls posted an 11-6 mark, good for first place in the Central Division. He topped the 20-point mark 11 times, including two 30-point outings, raising his scoring average more than eight points from last season, when he averaged 13.1 points. Butler shot .498 from the field while posting seven games with double-figure free throw attempts to rank fourth in the NBA in free throw attempts per game (8.8). Butler also led the NBA in minutes (39.3 mpg).

Curry guided the Warriors to a 14-2 record to start the season, ranking fifth in the NBA in scoring (23.8 ppg) and assists (7.8 apg), seventh in steals (1.94 spg), third in free throw percentage (.923) and second in three-point field goals made (51). He was one of two players in the NBA to shoot at least 49 percent from the field (.496), 40 percent from three-point range (.418) and 90 percent (.923) from the free throw line. Curry posted four 30-point games and one 40-point game. He also dished out at least five assists in all 16 games.

Other nominees for Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month were Atlanta’s Jeff Teague, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Houston’s James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, Memphis’ Marc Gasol, Miami’s Chris Bosh, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard, Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, and Washington’s John Wall.

Taj Gibson still recovering from ankle sprain

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting on the Bulls, who are currently in Brooklyn, New York playing the Nets. Chi-town remains without the services of forward Taj Gibson.

Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson remains unsure when he will return to the floor as he continues to recover from a sprained left ankle suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 21.

“He felt pretty good [Saturday],” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said before Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. “There’s no timetable, but we’ll see where he is [Monday], but he’s feeling a lot better.”

Gibson has had trouble with the same ankle several times over the past year and has been open about how he needs to be cautious this time with his rehab.

Jimmy Butler confident that his future is with Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler confident that his future is with Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have a good thing going. Good team chemistry, and potential for big things assuming key players stay healthy. A big part of that is shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who didn’t shoot well last season (13.1 ppg on 39.7% FG) but otherwise is a very good all-around player, especially as a defender. He’s a key part of the team. Will he be around in the future? Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting:

Jimmy Butler confident that his future is with Bulls

Jimmy Butler not only is “betting on himself.’’ He’s wagering that a new $24 billion television deal will keep him in Chicago.

The Bulls guard and his agent, Happy Walters, walked away from a take-it-or-leave-it offer from the Bulls on Friday. Even with the deadline having passed and Butler officially becoming a restricted free agent in July, the former first-round pick was confident that the sides would reach a deal down the road.

“People say I’m chasing money when that’s not it — yeah, get your mic closer — that’s not it, because I’m going to be in Chicago,’’ Butler said Saturday. “I’m not worried about it. I say that with a smile on my face because I know that for a fact. We’ll resume [negotiations] in July.’’