Nov. 22--PORTLAND, Ore. -- If Hall of Fame guard Isiah Thomas is referencing German philosopher Immanuel Kant, something big is up.
Somehow, the NBA schedule makers placed Derrick Rose in the Moda Center on Friday night, 364 days after he tore his right meniscus here, changing the direction of the Bulls' season but not the trajectory of Rose's downward trend.
That Rose watched the late tipoff in street clothes, missing his fourth straight game with a strained left hamstring and eighth of 13 overall, only contributed to the changing narrative on Rose.
When healthy, Rose remains one of the game's dynamic talents, a rare mixture of speed and strength. But ever since the almost-too-good-to-be-true narrative changed when Rose tore his left ACL in April 2012, those two words -- "when healthy" -- have proved Rose's nemesis.
Rose, who declined comment on the scheduling coincidence, has played 15 NBA games since.
Thomas knows Rose. He knows Chicago. He knows about playing through pain. And the NBA-TV studio analyst offers a substantive take on Rose's situation.
"If you study Kant, he says each individual has dignity and value and shouldn't be used for the benefit of others," Thomas said by phone. "Sometimes, it's OK for the athlete to be protected from himself or not be treated as a means to an end."
Thomas says this despite scoring an NBA Finals record 25 points in the third quarter after severely spraining his left ankle in Game 6 of the 1988 Pistons-Lakers series. The image of Thomas hobbling around has become iconic, and rightfully so.
Yet Thomas, who stresses that Rose is dealing with overcoming two serious knee injuries and not a sprained ankle, offered an interesting response when asked if he owned any regrets over his decision.
"I have no regrets about playing with pain," Thomas said. "But if I had gotten further injured while doing so, I would."
Thomas, part of a long lineage of tough Chicago guards from Cazzie Russell to Maurice Cheeks to Tim Hardaway and onward, theorized that Rose's caution doesn't stem from the sprained ankles that sidelined him for four games or the hamstring issue he currently is battling.
"Those injuries can affect his balance and then the knees," Thomas said. "You can't be from Chicago and where Derrick is from without being tough-minded."
This would jibe not only with Rose's injury philosophy this season but with that of the Bulls. They have been conservative with their franchise player since the start of training camp, sitting him in back-to-backs during the preseason and keeping him on minutes restrictions throughout.
"If a guy is injured, he should sit. If a guy is hurting, he should play. It's really that simple," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Right now, Derrick is not ready to go. He's injured. The guy has had two major injuries. If he needs time, we're going to give him time."
The Bulls have two more off days before beginning a back-to-back Monday against the Jazz in Utah. There is optimism within the organization that Rose will be able to go against the Jazz.
Either way, Thibodeau's approach won't change.
"Whatever your circumstances are, you make the best of those. I want us to have the mental toughness that we can deal with anything," he said. "Whatever comes our way, we're ready to handle it. The next guy, just get in there and get the job done."
Rose wasn't the only Bull who didn't want to discuss the dark symbolic cloud that hovered over Friday night. Joakim Noah started shaking his head no as a question about the anniversary came toward him.
"Nah, I don't want to talk about that," Noah said.
For Rose's narrative to return to positivity, talk has to focus on his play. Until then, injury philosophy -- and philosophers -- rule the day.
kcjohnson@tribpub.com
Twitter @kcjhoop
