Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is “most likely” to miss the rest of preseason, according to Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Rose, who is recovering from a left orbital fracture, suffered in the team’s first practice of the season, was expected to be out for two weeks, but his recovery has been slowed due to swelling around his eye that prevented the fitting of a supportive face mask.
“They still want him to be a little bit careful with the swelling and making sure his vision is back to where it's supposed to be, back to where it was before he got hit, before they want him to get anything going on with his blood pressure spiking, is kind of how I understand it,” Hoiberg said.
Hoiberg acknowledged that Rose may miss the Oct. 27 regular season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and possibly the first week of the season, a stretch that includes three games in four nights, according to ESPN.
Rose, the former 2011 NBA MVP, has suffered a myriad of ailments and injuries over the past several seasons, and has yet to recapture his MVP-form that saw him average 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists over 81 played games in the 2010-2011 season.
Rose has only played 100 out of the possible 230 games the past three seasons.
“I think it's still yet to be determined if we're going to have him for the opener, but the good news is he's progressing, he's getting better, his vision's getting better and hopefully we'll get him back here soon,” Hoiberg added.