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Derrick Rose has played 10 games with the Knicks this season. He missed his eighth straight game Sunday night against the Sixers.
The 32-year-old playmaker did not play in March – due to the fancy new sporting term: ‘health and safety protocols’.
Finally back with the Knicks on Thursday, Rose took shots two hours before the game started, then wore teacher glasses as he sat on the bench in a white shirt for Thursday’s victory over Orlando.
According to NBA COVID-19 protocols, Rose has enough negative tests to allow her to be with the team.
According to NBA sources, Rose is in the final stages of being erased – she needs to go through a series of workouts to make sure he’s safe to play.
Last week Thibodeau said Rose “was feeling a lot better.”
The Knicks, under HIPAA laws, are not allowed to confirm that Rose was absent for a positive test. But Thibodeau’s remark the other day suggested Rose may be having symptoms.
And this is where this pandemic season still remains frightening and unpredictable. Scientists still don’t know the long-term effect of COVID-19 on professional athletes.
Northwestern University pulmonologist Dr. Marc Sala and his COVID-19 expert told the Post that a professional athlete could still experience symptoms even after testing negative for months – not to mention weeks.
Rose last performed on February 28 in Detroit. He was excluded from the March 2 game in San Antonio due to an inconclusive test.
“I have had people who had previously been marathon runners and very physically functional patients like an athlete who still had symptoms – 12 months later,” said Dr Sala. “Shortness of breath, inability to resume running.”
It is a virus that we have never seen.
“Even after the acute viral infection is over, they can have very prolonged symptoms even after the virus is gone,” said Sala. “We don’t know why and it’s a huge area of study right now.”
In the case of NBA players like Rose, Sala said precautionary tests are done to watch for heart inflammation.
According to Sala, the virus “affects the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys”. Rose probably had EKGs and Echocardiograms.
“If the heart is inflamed, activity on the heart is dangerous,” Sala said. “You are conservative as far as you exercise.”
Some Knicks fans are getting restless, wondering why a Rose comeback is taking so long – like he’s dealing with a sprained right ankle.
Mistaken social media chatter had Rose in Chicago at a friend’s funeral. So the rumor was that he had stayed away from the team due to protocols. Others have pointed out that he became AWOL like he did when he first played for the Knicks in 2016-17.
Everything, of course, clearly wrong. Rose has been in New York since returning with the San Antonio squad when the squad thought he would play the next game. All Rose needed was more negative tests.
But it’s a season like no other and Rose is still out. Somehow, the Knicks survived their playmaker shortage which also saw Elfrid Payton (hamstrings), Immanuel Quickley (ankle) and Austin Rivers (paternity leave) go missing.
“It’s extremely difficult,” said Julius Randle, who has played all 42 games. “But like we’ve said all year, the next man. This is what we think. So the next guy is stepping up – the guys played well in this role. Anything we can do to win, no matter what challenges we face. “
The Knicks have 3-4 since Rose quit playing due to COVID-19 issues. In its 10 games with the club, the Knicks are 7-3.
The Knicks are at their best with Payton as the starting point goalie and Rose and Quickley as the backcourt backup tandem.
Payton and Quickley look set to return. Rose too.
Mitchell Robinson, out of the last 15 games with a broken hand, was able to return Sunday night.
“It’s going to be a huge difference,” Randle said. “We’re going to start once the guys get back on the lineup and are healthy and we have a full squad. It’s going to be awesome.”
But as we all know, the still mysterious virus means the only sure thing is that there is no sure thing. And we can only wish Rose the best of luck.
“We have no idea of the long-term effects of COVID-19 on anyone – let alone athletes who previously had incredible reserve and function,” Sala said.
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