Richard Hamilton says Chicago Bulls will be fighting next season, with or without Derrick Rose – NBA Update
The Chicago Bulls were dealt quite the blow when super star point guard Derrick Rose went out with an injury in the first game of the playoffs. The Bulls subsequently lost their series against the Philadelphia 76ers. A defiant Richard Hamilton has now come
forward and said that his side would be back next season and will be looking to win regardless of when Rose regains fitness.
Derrick suffered a devastating knee injury and underwent surgery soon after. His doctors have said the point guard could need from 8 to 12 months in order to make a full recovery. In basketball terms, that could mean that he is out for the entire 2012 –
2013 NBA season.
Rose is undoubtedly the centre piece of Chicago’s roster, so his absence next season could cause serious harm to their chances. Some have even suggested that the Bulls could struggle to make it into the playoffs, but Hamilton isn’t buying it.
He says Chicago will be ready, and other players will fill in for Rose until he recovers.
"I like our chances (of winning)," Hamilton said. "As players we hope and pray that he's back, because he makes everybody's job that much easier. But I feel as though if he doesn't, it will be our job to hold things down until he does come back.”
The spectacular collapse that Chicago suffered in the playoffs, against the Philadelphia 76ers though suggests otherwise. The Sixers were able to defeat the Bulls in 6 games with Rose out, although the Bulls also had other injury issues.
Hamilton believes that was also down to just the shock that the side got with Rose’s injury. He said all the team could do now was look forward to next season and hope it’s a better one.
"For us, it's just like, man, we've been dealing with adversity all season long, and to have to go through it the first game with two minutes left to go in the game was tough, but we don't want to make any excuses. We just want to make next year hopefully
a better year."
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