ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—Derrick Rose has had a rough summer league. Now it might be over.
The Chicago Bulls held their No. 1 overall pick out of Wednesday’s game with tendinitis in his right knee. It was the third of five games the Bulls and five other teams are playing over five days in Orlando.
Rose said the injury, which dates to his college days at Memphis, wasn’t serious and he fought for court time.
“I was mad today, but I knew they wasn’t going to play me so I was just going to have to suck it up,” Rose said after Chicago’s 86-74 win over Orlando. “I could have played, but they said ‘Don’t worry about it, this is just the summer.”’
Rose has struggled a little in two exhibition games, averaging 9.5 points, 5.5 assists and four turnovers a game. Like most summer league teams, the Bulls’ is filled with undrafted rookies, European pros and NBA Developmental Leaguers. But Rose does have third-year pro Tyrus Thomas and second-year forward Joakim Noah to feed the ball.
“I’ve just got to get used to it,” Rose said. “Like at Memphis, it took me a time to get used to the offense and get used to my teammates. Other than that its going to be a great time.”
Rose, who turned pro after a freshman year in which he led the Tigers to the NCAA championship game, said he would have played under the same circumstances at Memphis.
“I had (tendinitis) in both my knees then,” he said. “(The Bulls) are just more cautious. I could have played today but they told me not to.”
Rose said trainers have been stretching his hamstring and trying to improve his mobility. He said he hoped it would be ready for Thursday and Friday, but the Bulls could rest him to prevent further injury.
Chicago doesn’t want to be the second team in two years to lose its top draft pick to a blown knee before the regular season even begins. Last year, Portland’s Greg Oden was ruled out after microfracture surgery in September.
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