With Derrick Rose succumbing yet again to another knee injury, it's about time for the Chicago Bulls to push the restart button and begin their search for a point guard more durable to withstand the excruciating road to the promise land.
On Monday, the basketball world has been shaken once more with the news about Rose's latest setback. Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP, is expected to undergo surgery for third time in four years after suffering a medial meniscus tear in the same knee that sustained a torn meniscus last season.
Although the timetable for his full recovery won't be determined until after surgery, there's a very high chance the All-Star guard would miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season, depriving the Bulls the very reason why they were considered a championship contender this season.
It's over for the Bulls. That was the first thing ESPN NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith came out from his mouth the moment he heard the tragic news about Rose, who is averaging 18.4 points and 5.0 assists despite going through major surgeries in both knees.
According to the ESPN First Take mainstay, Rose's latest setback has officially booted the Bulls out of the title conversation after being considered by several analysts as one of the top-2 favorites alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers to come out of the East. For Smith, the Bulls will never achieve their championship goal without the game-changing skill-sets Rose offers to the team.
"You'll recognize the fact that all likelihood he will never be the same, as a result the Chicago Bulls won't be what we all expected them to be," Smith said in an interview on ESPN.
What's Next for Rose & the Bulls?
The Bulls, who adamantly continued to pin their hopes on Rose even after the ACL injury in his left knee and then torn MCL in his right, may start exploring options now as they look to move on from a nightmarish Rose's era.
While Rose's latest injury isn't career-ending (he could prefer coming back early by deciding to get his MCL removed rather than repaired like Dwyane Wade and Eric Bledsoe), many analysts, including Smith, believed the Bulls guard will never reach MVP level again following three knee surgeries. This spells problem for the Bulls, whose only real chance of winning their first title since the Michael Jordan would be to have Rose playing at a high level.
It's never too late for the Bulls. For them to spring back to contention right away, they have to consider what appears to be the inevitable: parting ways with Rose. This can be done in two ways: waiving or trading him. After all, the Bulls are still loaded with talents from top to bottom, and perhaps, all they need is to have legit point guard able to withstand the wear and tear of the season and contribute just enough to finally get them over the hump.
Of course, Rose's value on the trading market won't be as high as it was pre-injury. However, there's no doubt teams will consider trading for the playmaker if he becomes available. The Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks might be interested to roll a dice for Rose, who could likely be had by sending a high first-round pick or a young player with high potential.
It's heartbreaking seeing a hard-working guy like Rose suffer another big blow. But as harsh as it can be, it is a reality both Rose and the Bulls have to accept. The great Shakespeare once said: 'Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.' Today marks the end of a short-lived era, as well as the beginning of a new one for Bulls basketball.
