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Throughout the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets first round matchup I’ve gone to the Barclays Center and watched the players do their pre-game warmups.  I’ve watched Bulls guard Derrick Rose participate in shootaround, run drills and even hit a couple dunks.  As I watched him look like he was preparing himself for the comeback, the truth is he’s not.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

Along with these pre-game warmups, Rose has helped keep up hope amongst fans by not ruling himself out, by saying things like “Who knows?” Rose told reporters hours on Saturday. “It’s still up in the air.”

Doctors cleared Rose to start scrimmaging with the team in mid-February and cleared him for full contact play in March.  Still he hasn’t hit the court.  As his teammates are dropping around him like flies, still he waits.  Joakim Noah has been playing with one foot, grabbing rebounds and dominating the post.  Nate Robinson is exerting all his energy on the court and vomiting during timeouts.  Luol Deng is frustrated trying to get out of a hospital bed to join his teammates all while Rose watches from the sidelines.

While the criticism mounts the fact is only Rose knows when he will be completely ready.  Yes he and Knicks guard Iman Shumpert both suffered a torn ACL on the same day and yes Shumpert returned long ago and has been a big factor for his team, but the truth remains that everyone heals differently.  Although doctors have declared Rose physically ready he might not be mentally ready.  Despite his or his brother’s claims that he’s 90% there and Reggie’s claims that Derrick could return for the second round, would you want your first game back to be against Lebron James?

The point is Rose needs to stop stringing fans and reporters along.  He’s listed as day-to-day but in fact he’s not.  Just tell the truth, you don’t see yourself coming back this year.  In fact he has hinted at it.  “If I do take the whole year off and don’t play anymore, I know I’m going to come back a better player,” Rose said. “My body will be healed more.”  That ladies and gentlemen is your answer, and if you need something more concrete; His choice has been made to sit out the season and it includes no provisions for turning back, sources with direct knowledge told Yahoo! Sports.

So now lets focus on the Chicago Bulls soldiers who’ve fought their way through everything thrown at them and persevered under the guidance and tutelage of their general and coach Tom Thibodeau.