While Derrick Rose has not expressed a sincere interest to play overseas if there is no 2011-12 NBA season, Charles Barkley has urged the Bulls superstar not to even consider it. “I think it would be a mistake,” Barkley said on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. “I think any great player has got too much at stake. You could go there and hurt yourself.”
Rose improved from rookie of the year in his first season to an All-Star in his second to last season’s MVP in his third. A disruption of that progression could make him one of the young players affected most by the lockout.
But that’s one thing Chicago native Dwyane Wade isn’t worried about.
“Derrick Rose is evolving into a phenomenal player,” Wade told ESPNChicago.com on Thursday.
That might not be enough, according to Wade. His Miami Heat proved too strong for the Bulls, winning the Eastern Conference finals in five games.
“You could look and see they’re one player away from being there every year,” Wade said.
Strong words coming from a key member of one of the most hated teams in America but still true. Wade, who said the Heat “set a trend” for the rest of the league, said the Bulls need “someone who can come in and take some of that pressure away. That’s why I was excited to play with a guy like LeBron [James].”
But how long will Rose have to wait for that player, and how patient will he be? If Rose can’t bring a title to the Windy City in the next few years, will he announce a “decision” to take his talents elsewhere?
– Scott Gleeson
