2 min read • December 24, 2021
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Point guard Derrick Rose underwent right ankle surgery this week and will be re-evaluated in 8 weeks, the Knicks announced Wednesday. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that there is optimism he could return closer to 6 weeks.
Based on the timeline of the injury and the anticipated recovery, as well as Rose's injury history, the ProBasketballDocs can infer that he underwent an ankle scope featuring a cleanup of bone spurs and/or loose chips that will have him returning in the Spring.
The 33-year-old has historically taken his time getting back to full health after a serious injury or surgery, stretching back to his torn left ACL in the 2012 playoffs, which kept him out for the entire 2012-13 season, and his 3 subsequent meniscus tears The benefit of this strategy is that when he does return, he returns immediately ready to contribute.
(An important note is that the 8-week timetable represents when he will be re-evaluated, not when he will return. The team may decide he is ready to come back immediately, or that he will need to undergo further treatment and a longer absence.)
A return in 8 weeks would put him back on the roster in the middle of the All-Star break in late February for the final 23 games of the season.
There is no clear and obvious video of the injury, but we believe it was a cumulative ailment that stretches back to Rose's 3 missed games for a sprained right ankle starting on Nov. 23.
The 2011 NBA MVP left mid-way through the 2nd quarter on Dec. 16 with right ankle soreness and did not return. Even in his 12 minutes of play, he was limited, scoring 0 points on 0-2 shooting while missing his normal burst and showing clear hesitancy to drive. He struggled in his last 11 games, scoring 10.9 points on only 40.9% shooting while posting a plus-minus of -2.9, down from the +8 he had in his first 15 games.
Veteran Kemba Walker has returned to the starting lineup and had a landmark night Thursday, scoring 44 points with 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 0 turnovers in a close loss. He was pulled from the rotation in late November by head coach Tom Thibodeau, but will be relied on to run the offense with 2nd-year point guard Immanuel Quickley.
The Knicks are 14-18,10th in the Eastern Conference, after having lost 6 players to the health and safety protocols in the last 2 weeks (Obi Toppin and R.J. Barrett were just cleared on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively).
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