First, the good news, Derrick Rose does not have another torn ACL.
Now, the bad news. Rose does have a medial meniscus tear in his right knee that requires surgery and is out indefinitely.
The superstar guard of the Chicago Bulls somewhat dodged a bullet Saturday as an MRI taken in Los Angeles revealed torn cartilage but not a torn ligament. The difference could shorten his absence considerably.
Of course, it is impossible to tell with Rose, who missed the entire 2012-13 season with a torn left ACL suffered in the opener of the 2012 playoffs. He did not return to the court last season despite being cleared by doctors in March.
Clippers superstar Blake Griffin – another player with a history of knee injuries – missed the 2012 Olympics with a medial meniscus tear. He had surgery in mid-July and was ready for training camp for the 2012-13 season, 2 1/2 months later.
On the same timeline, Rose potentially could return in early February. Other players have returned from medial meniscus tears in less than a month.
As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! explained, it depends on what type of surgery Rose has.
In a statement released Saturday, the Bulls said Rose will not accompany the team for the last four games of its annual “circus” road trip, which could indicate that surgery is imminent.
Rose suffered the injury in the third quarter of Friday’s loss at Portland. He limped to the bench and sat down before being helped to the locker room by team personnel and left the Moda Center on crutches.
Rose’s return this season was one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Thus far, he had shown glimpses of his speed and explosiveness. His averages of 15.9 points, 4.3 assists and .354 field goal percentage all are career lows.
The Bulls (6-5) will turn to veteran Kirk Hinrich, who started in Rose’s place last season, to run the offense. They also have journeyman Mike James and untested Marquis Teague as point guards on the roster.