Wilted Rose

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We waited...and waited...and waited...

We had to keep asking a season ago when would Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose make his triumphant return to the court after tearing his left ACL? We got no answers. Instead, all we saw was the former Memphis Tigers standout give us different looks in designer suits and the memes to go along with them.

Then he came back...and just about all was right with the NBA world. Granted, there was no Kobe, but a D. Rose would make things a little better for basketball fans around the world. Well, it did...until recently when Rose was ruled out after tearing his right meniscus according to reports. How could the basketball gods be so cruel and take away one of the top guards in the league? How are we supposed to go on?

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Well, for starters, the Bulls will be who they were all of last year give or take a couple of pieces and that may not be such a bad thing. The only thing that is going to suck is having to listen to teammates answer questions later about Rose's rehab and how they're dealing with him determining when he's ready to return. But here's one question you won't hear.

Is Derrick Rose the next Greg Oden?

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Think about it. Rose has had two knee injuries, one of which kept him out the entire 2012-13 season and the other like to do the same this year. Oden hasn't played a regular season game since the 2009-10 season. In total, Oden has played 82 games in his career. While Rose has over three times as many games to his credit, he, too has knee problems. He may not have the medical history of Oden, but knee injuries are still make front offices a little leary.

But Rose is not the new Oden. Derrick Rose is signed through the 2016-17 season, but these injuries don't promise that Rose will be the same guy that he's been in seasons past. Knee injuries can end careers. Ask Chris Webber. Ask Dikembe Mutombo. They are serious.

But that's not to say he can't. I'd bet he does and I'm with Bulls Nation and the rest of the league. Here's to hoping that the former NBA MVP makes a successful recovery and an even bigger return.

Photo Courtesy of The Chicago Tribune