The D Rose Debacle

I need to start this post off by saying that I am a huge Derrick Rose fan. Ever since I saw him on the AAU circuit as a 16 year old, I knew he was special. He is obviously special.....if you know basketball that's not even a question. I admired him at Memphis, and since he was drafted by his hometown team, The Chicago Bulls. The kid clearly has his head on straight. He has handled every situation with class, honesty, and real emotion. Derrick Rose seems to be a genuine person, on and off the court. All that being said, I have a problem with the situation that is going on right now in the playoffs. When my homie bObD and I decided to start this blog, I said to myself that I wasn't going to jump to conclusions on people and judge people that I don't know personally, off of iffy facts and ignorance. I still hold true that premise. But this situation that has evolved in Chicago is very, very interesting. Derrick Rose was medically cleared to play basketball 3 months ago. He has been practicing with his team in 5 on 5 scrimmages for 2 months....2 months!! By all accounts there hasn't been a setback since he has been practicing and sources say that he looks good. Then comes the quotes from family, the Bulls, and Derrick himself.  His brother and his mother have been talking to the press way too much in my humble opinion. Reggie Rose (Derrick's brother), has come out and said that it is all mental and Derrick doesn't trust the knee. Derrick's mom has basically said the same thing. The Bulls will not come out and shut the kid down for the rest of the playoffs. Derrick himself, who doesn't say a lot, said that "anything's possible". Hmmm. What does all this crap mean? To add to all this stuff.....The Bulls players themselves (the only ones that really matter) are battling. These guys won a series that, as shorthanded as they were, they shouldn't have won. They won off of defense, grit, bravery, teamwork, grit, toughness, trust, grit, and mettle. This team is a TEAM. Something you rarely see on the landscape in the NBA. A unique team that has won my heart. I love watching them. I love how they compete. I love lil Robinson. I LOVE Noah....he's the guy I will show my son, when I show him how to compete on every play. The bottom line is that the TEAM deserves more than the Bulls brass is giving them. They deserve to know whether or not they are going to get help from the cornerstone of the organization, who seems to be healthy. After last night's dismantling by the Heat, will DRose decide to play Friday night? Have they already shut him down within the organization??? Do the players know? If he is healthy now, why hasn't he played before this? I cannot remember anything like this before. I have never been the kind of guy that believes that a player needs to listen to the court of public opinion or play for the fans in particular. I do believe that a star has an obligation to his team. Especially a team that's as special as this one......I can't wait till Friday.