The theme of the night Tuesday in the NBA was superstars returning home. Dwight Howard made his long anticipated return to Orlando, while Pau Gasol may soon be returning to the Lakers lineup. Meanwhile Carmelo Anthony is returning to Denver Wednesday night and the return of Derrick Rose to Chicago is still in question.
Let’s take a look at Tuesday’s latest news:
There are two sides to every story, and Tuesday, the mental side of Derrick Rose’s return from a torn ACL was front and center. NBA.com’s Steven Aschburner explains in detail: “Had Rose worked with the Bulls to provide brief, periodic updates – say, monthly – on his rehab, his physical progress and his feelings about it all, rumors and speculation wouldn’t have had any vacuum to fill. Fans and media would have heard Rose’s views on the Bulls’ exploits without him, and management’s roster-building, directly from him. The team wouldn’t have had to make it known – whether leaked or more innocently confirmed – via an unnamed source that Bulls medical personnel had signed off on the physical part of Rose’s recovery and that he was at no greater risk of re-injury than of the initial ACL tear.”
More from Aschburner: “Instead, Rose was kept at arm’s length from actual communication. A stray USA Today story bubbled up in February, followed a few days later by a frenzied, visitors dressing room huddle in Boston and, lately, a couple of quick chats relayed by network sideline reporters.”
In the end, Rose might feel ready, but that doesn’t mean he is ready. As Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com reported:
“I think I can do everything, it’s just me having the confidence to do it,” Rose said before practice. “Just me feeling normal.”
Rose tore his ACL on April 28 and underwent surgery on May 12.
“I really don’t know [about a return this season],” Rose said. “I’m just like you all where I’m waiting till that day where I feel normal.
“Until then I would just wait. I haven’t had any pressure from the organization and no one else to push me to go out there and play. My teammates have been doing great with just playing hard for me. They’re still out there playing hard, fighting, so that’s a good sign and we’re winning games, so I’m not worried about anything right now.”
According to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times, Rose is not sure he will return this season despite being cleared to play by doctors: “Derrick Rose said Tuesday he is physically fine, his workouts are getting easier but he is trying to get over the mental ‘‘hump’’ before he returns to the Bulls’ lineup — and that might not happen this season.
‘‘I think with any surgery, mentally you have to get over that hump — that’s what I’m doing now,’’ Rose said prior to the Bulls’ practice at UCLA’s Student Activities Center. ‘‘I’m able to play but it’s just getting over that hump — I should be fine.
‘‘I think I can do everything [physically]. It’s just me having the confidence to do it. I’m just trying to feel normal. When I’m out there and not thinking and just reacting, that’s when I know I’ll be ready.’’
‘‘I don’t know [if he’ll play this season],’’ he said. ‘‘I’m coming back when I feel normal. If that’s in a couple of days, that’s great. If it’s not, I’m fine.’’
But the return of Derrick Rose wasn’t the only story of importance on Tuesday. Because Dwight Howard made his first return to Orlando since his dramatic departure last summer.
Before the game Dwight was only thinking about happy times, and according to the Associated Press, this was just another game for Dwight: “All that stuff is over with now. Today is a new day,” he said. “Whatever happened in the past, I’m gonna leave it behind me. Like I said, I have nothing but love for the fans here. They treated me well. It didn’t end right, it didn’t end the way we all wanted it to end. But I’m in a better place, and everybody has to move on.”