Derrick Rose is still recovering from an ankle surgery, his second this season. Rose was expected to start contact training the previous week, but Tom Thibodeau claimed recently Rose’s “conditioning’’ still is an issue and it’s unclear when he’ll be cleared.
Rose has just played in 26 games this season after helping the Knicks to make the playoff last year. Tom Thibodeau said the Knicks will take the situation with the veteran guard step by step.
Rose underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his ankle in December, then had a second procedure and likely won’t return.
“I don’t know,’’ Thibodeau said on Rose’s timeline, via NY Post. “I don’t know — he’s been out a long time.”
“The main thing is we want him to go step by step,’’ Thibodeau said. “He hasn’t taken contact on. He’s ramped up his conditioning but hasn’t taken contact on. That’s a big thing.’’
The Knicks have seven games left in the season, and the play-in seems to be an impossible task for the team. New York has rightly received criticism for their 34-42 record that leads them to the lottery.
They could not find viable chemistry, while Julius Randle has seen his numbers falling off the cliff, especially in the shooting department.
The Knicks will hope to upgrade their roster in the offseason to make a postseason run next year. Until then, the Knicks have elected to play more young prospects including the rookies Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes.
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