Bulls fans, start getting excited.
That video is Derrick Rose running sprints at the Chicago Bulls' practice facility. Rose's well-documented progress in his ACL injury rehab (holding onto his knee ... holding onto his knee and down!) is getting closer and closer to him returning to action. As the video from CSNChicago and the words from the Chicago Sun-Times show us, Rose could be practicing in a couple of weeks. Via SLAM Online:
According to an NBA source, while ‘‘The Return’’ to the court for NBA games is still up in the air for Rose, the all-everything point guard could be just weeks away from practicing with the Bulls again after surgery on his left anterior cruciate ligament last May.
‘‘That’s the belief that a couple of [the Bulls’] players are under,’’ the source said.
Rose has been cutting on the knee for at least two weeks and was seen running sprinting drills at the Berto Center after the Monday practice, with one sprint leaving teammate Kirk Hinrich yelling out in encouragement.
Just as a rudimentary timetable, Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves (who tore his ACL on March 9) was seen running sprints back on Oct. 3 during training camp. This past Sunday, he returned to practice with the Wolves and is expected to be back within the next week or two.
Not every ACL is the same, so you can't just go directly off that timetable and apply it to Rose -- especially with the news that he has been cutting on the knee for about two weeks. Rubio didn't start doing that until a few weeks after he was seen doing sprints. Considering their injuries were about a month and a half apart from each other, Rose being back to practice in the next few weeks puts him a little ahead of schedule but also right about where you'd expect him to be.
If Rubio is returning to action in the next week or two, could that put Rose back in about five to six weeks? Maybe a little longer than that? Regardless, we're close to seeing the return of both Ricky Rubio and Derrick Rose. Not a bad way to begin the new year for basketball fans.
