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Recent injuries have Cleveland Cavaliers fans wondering what’s next for Derrick Rose. Rose, a former MVP, has not played with his Cleveland teammates in 11 of 18 games. Rose was supposed to be the starting point guard until Isaiah Thomas returned, and then an explosive Sixth Man off the bench for Cleveland. This is not the case as Rose is currently suffering from a sprained left ankle. But the biggest injury he seems to be suffering from is not physical, but mental.
Rose is having a hard time coping with his continuous leg injuries. Sources have said that he is struggling to find the motivation to keep playing basketball. This has resulted in him leaving the Cavaliers for an unknown amount of time for what was described as personal matters.
Rose has had quite the career. He was the 2011 MVP (the youngest ever), and has slated himself among the biggest faces of the Chicago Bulls franchise since Michael Jordan. But after multiple surgeries to his knees, he isn’t feeling like that All-Star caliber player he once was. Critics and NBA fans have shared this sentiment and have been increasingly vocal about expressing said opinion over the years. Rose responded to these critiques during the offseason, saying he still had plenty of time to play and was prepping for a strong season with the Cavs. But with this latest string of injuries and subsequent news of Rose’s leave of absence, many basketball fans are wondering if all the talk finally got to him.
Everyone wants to know when Rose will be back but it’s worth considering the idea that he may not. I don’t believe it will come to something this extreme, but it wouldn’t be completely heinous. In fact, a lot of people think there’s a chance we’ve seen the last of D-Rose. Former Knicks teammates recently shared information that Rose reportedly told them he was only planning on playing for three or four more seasons. Is the NBA ready to say goodbye to one of its greatest point guards? More importantly, is Rose ready to retire as the unluckiest player to ever step foot on an NBA court?
Cavs fans and anyone who respects Rose will be hoping that these questions will remain unanswered, at least for a little while. Rose just needs some time to reevaluate his role in the NBA and get himself back on track. While I don’t believe he is done, I do believe he is going to have to come to terms that he is not the player he used to be. It’s abundantly clear from this offseason that he was hoping to prove he’s still an upper echelon scorer.
He’s not 2011 Derrick Rose. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be an effective player, or even a great player. I think there’s a good chance he will be an effective player for Cleveland, as he was for the Knicks, just not as effective as he was in his prime. I think that’s what this personal time away is going to show him and he should be able to come back stronger than ever mentally, having settled the personal vendetta with himself.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Rose, the idea that he would be injured at some point seemed inevitable, and it ultimately was. But would a former number one overall pick, All-Star, MVP and nine-year Adidas shoe partner really hang it up at only 29 years old after admitting defeat to injury? I think not, but only time will tell.