Bulls' Rose will do what's best for Rose

As a guy worth a couple hundred million bucks, Derrick Rose can probably afford the best medical guidance available.

Nevertheless, he sure gets a lot of free advice.

It's amazing because everyone seems to know what's best for Rose, everyone seems to know just how healthy he is, and everyone seems to know what he should do next.

If you lack such enlightenment, you probably believe Rose is the only one who knows what he feels, and therefore he's the only one who knows what's best for Rose.

The fact is, Rose doesn't handle pain well. He has said as much in the past, so any return to the court while he has this affliction or that is only asking for trouble.

He told reporters in Los Angeles on Tuesday that, “I think I can do everything (on the court). It's just me having the confidence to do it. It's just me feeling normal.”

Obviously, Rose is afraid of getting hurt again, even though his knee is as good as it's going to get. You already knew the knee was sound because Bulls doctors said last summer that the day he returned to practice would be the day the knee was ready for action.

Physically, he may be healthy, but mentally he's not certain. If he doesn't believe he's ready, he's not. If he doesn't believe he's ready, he won't play at full speed and with complete abandon. If he doesn't believe he's ready, he will favor this knee or that hamstring, and he will only risk another injury.

The Bulls will not win the title this year, so nothing Rose does in the next few weeks or months can help the franchise.

The only thing a return does — if he's 100 percent mentally and physically — is give him minutes and confidence going into next season, confidence that he can explode off that knee without that knee exploding again.

But even that is overrated. If Rose doesn't return this season, he'll have another summer to work on his body, and after one preseason game next fall, one in which he competes hard, Rose will no longer fear what might happen when he takes off on that leg.

In the meantime, nothing is accomplished by playing before he's entirely certain he should be playing.

Rose knows this. It's why he hasn't played. It's why he won't play until he feels right.

But he probably appreciates all the help he's getting in making that decision.

The conversation

Smart move by Rose to meet with the beat writers Tuesday and tell them exactly what was on his mind. He should be doing that regularly until he returns so that the misinformation campaign can be contained.

When he doesn't say anything, the vacuum leaves those above, below and around him the chance to leak information that is often misinterpreted, simply wrong, or designed entirely to pressure Rose into returning.

Cutler smiles

If former Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod arrives with more than one leg, that's a major upgrade on Jay Cutler's blind side.

And if former Giant Martellus Bennett arrives with anything more than three fingers per hand, he's a huge upgrade at tight end for the Bears.

Think either of those players would be here if Lovie Smith was still in the building?

The numbers

Even after giving up 3 power-play goals Sunday, the Blackhawks are still fifth in the league on the penalty kill at 84.4 percent.

They're 14th on the power play at 18.1 percent, but only six teams have had fewer 5-on-3 opportunities (four), and only four teams have had less 5-on-3 time (2:01).

On the other hand, they've had three overtime power plays, the second most in the NHL, and won at Dallas Jan. 24 in OT on a Marian Hossa PP goal.

The quote

Ray Emery, on whether the Hawks let up Sunday after losing their first game in regulation Friday: “I don't know if you should ever let that thought in your head. If you get too high on yourself, this game will bite you every time.”

Forecasting

Tiger Woods has won twice before the Masters seven times previously, and in six of those Tour seasons he has won at least one major. Woods' 4 Masters victories have come in seasons in which he has won at least once before Augusta.

Woods has won twice this season, at Torrey Pines and Doral, with a start at the Palmer pending. In 2005 when he won those two events, he won the Masters and the Open Championship.

Careful wishing

There was a lot of big talk last week about wanting to be grouped with Tiger Woods. He beat his playing partners by a combined 29 shots at Doral.

Drop the gloves

New Cubs broadcaster Jim Deshaies tweeted @lenandjd that, “Team Canada very adept at pulling jerseys over the heads of Team Mexico. Go figure.”

You can catch the boys for the first spring broadcast this Saturday at 3 p.m. on Channel 9.

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: “Lowly Chicago Blackhawks have the fifth-longest losing streak in the NHL.”

Best tweet

From @TheFakeESPN: “Dennis Rodman plans to visit Vatican, says he and Pope have a lot in common.”

And finally …

S.F. Chronicle's Scott Ostler: “Since one of the charms of the World Baseball Classic is the display of distinctive national flavors and styles, wouldn't it be better if the eligibility rules called for, say, the Italian team to have more, you know, Italians?”

brozner@dailyherald.com

ŸHear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.