Rose has surgery, but no date set on return
Derrick Rose had surgery Wednesday morning to repair a fracture to the orbital bone below his left eye. When the second Bulls practice of training camp ended a few hours later at the Advocate Center, there was no information on a possible return to the court.
Coach Fred Hoiberg said there was no bone displacement, which is good news. For now, it's safe to say Rose will miss a significant chunk of preseason, but may be available for the regular season opener against Cleveland on Oct. 27.
"Hopefully it's an injury that won't keep him out too long," Hoiberg said after practice. "He's in great shape. We don't know how much he'll be able to do even when he's in his recovery mode, but he'll still be here learning."
Even if Rose is sidelined for a significant period, he should be able to sit in the gym and learn Hoiberg's new system, along with the rest of his teammates.
"So we'll go as expected, as far as putting our stuff in," Hoiberg said. "We added a few new ones in his absence today, and again, guys seem to be picking up things very well."
The accident happened early in Tuesday's opening practice. Hoiberg said Rose made a nice baseline drive, kicked the ball to a teammate and one of the big men went up to block a potential shot, then caught Rose in the face on the way down.
None of the Bulls would identify the player who struck Rose, although Taj Gibson said Tuesday he "might" have done it.
"It's unfortunate," Joakim Noah said. "First play, takes an elbow, goes down. But it's not the end of the world. He'll be back in no time."
Hoiberg and Noah said they exchanged texts with Rose on Tuesday evening and he seemed to be doing well. Rose has struggled to avoid injuries in recent years, missing most of two seasons due to a pair of knee surgeries. Last year, Rose was able to play in 63 games, including playoffs.
"It (stinks), in a way," Pau Gasol said. "But he's a tough kid and hopefully he'll heal well and he'll be ready to go. It's unfortunate that he won't be a part of most of training camp and preseason, because it's a useful time for any team to get things on track, set the foundation for the season, especially with a new system, new philosophy new coach. But no excuses. Life works out that way sometimes and you've just got to keep walking."
NBA players have made quick returns from this type of injury, often wearing a protective mask when returning to the court. Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook, Rose's summer workout partner, returned to game action just five days after suffering a facial fracture that required surgery - and scored 49 points with a triple-double.
This might be a situation where Rose would return quickly if the playoffs were going on, but might as well take his time and let the fracture heal fully since it's the second day of training camp.
The Bulls have plenty of options to fill in at point guard, between Aaron Brooks, Kirk Hinrich, E'Twaun Moore and possibly even Jimmy Butler.
"We've still got a job to do," Hoiberg said. "We can't hang our heads or feel sorry for ourselves. It's about getting these guys prepared to go out and play. And you're right, injuries are a part of this game, and guys have stepped in during the past for this team and given great minutes when key guys have been sidelined, so that's our main focus right now. Get these guys ready to play. You know our first preseason game is next Tuesday, and then obviously get ready for opening night."
• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.