Rose: If I’m Not 100% There’s No Point in Playing

(Chicago Bulls Derrick) Rose played through nagging injuries throughout his first few seasons in the league. A couple sprained ankles likely wouldn’t have kept Rose out of a game six years ago because Rose always wanted to play. He always wanted to be on the floor. But after seeing his basketball mortality flash before his eyes over the past two seasons, Rose’s tone off the floor has changed. He’s more cautious in choosing his words, and he doesn’t care nearly as much about playing every game like it’s his last. He just wants to play, but if he doesn’t feel well enough to play, he’s not going to step foot on the floor.

“Just having that burst of speed,” he said after Tuesday’s shootaround, when asked how he would make that decision. “If I could get to a spot, I could play. If not, there’s no need. If I’m not out there and I’m not 100 percent, or if I can’t play the way that I normally play, there’s no point in me being out there right now.”

In losing so many games to injury over the past three years, Rose gained a perspective he didn’t have when he entered the NBA. He knows his time in the league is short, and he isn’t concerned about fans’ opinions if he has to sit out a game here and there. Some fans have already speculated Rose’s new mind-set is coming from his agent, B.J. Armstrong, and his brother, Reggie, meaning they’ve told Rose if he’s not feeling well enough to dominate, he shouldn’t play.

“If [I don’t play], I got three more games pretty quick,” Rose said Tuesday morning. “Just trying not to be negative about it. Just know that there’s a lot of basketball to be played, so I’ll be back out there pretty soon.”

via Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago