Thibs strikes back at Rose’s critics
During Friday’s line of questioning, coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned a couple times about how the Bulls must stay focused on what is directly ahead of them, and not look too far ahead or dwell in the past.
That philosophy didn’t stop Thibodeau from backtracking to last spring and delivering a message to anyone who criticized Derrick Rose for not returning from knee surgery to participate in the playoffs.
“The criticism was unwarranted,” Thibodeau said. “You talk about a guy who’s as loyal as they come to his family, to his teammates, to our organization, to the city. He’s already done a lot and he’ll continue to do a lot. That’s who he is.”
Heading into last season, there was a general belief Rose would return from ACL surgery sometime after the all-star break in February. So when the Bulls played well and Rose’s absence lingered, there was a natural tendency to get impatient.
“When I look back … he followed Jerry (Reinsdorf’s) orders exactly,” Thibodeau said. “Jerry made it very clear from the beginning as to how he wanted him to approach it. It was to be cautious, make sure you’re completely healthy. He told him he didn’t want him to come back until he was 100 percent. And that’s exactly what (Rose) did and then he got criticized for it. So that’s what bothered me.
“Our real fans have an appreciation for him. I think the people that criticized him, they don’t know what the (heck) they’re talking about.”
For his part, Rose shrugged off any criticism or backlash he experienced last spring.
“There’s nothing you can do about it,” he said. “I can’t stop people from saying stuff. All I can do is continue to work hard and try to better myself as a player.”