Derrick Rose Won't Return Until He Can Dunk

Derrick Rose took one small step closer to game action, but he'll need to take one giant leap before he steps onto the hardwood for real.

"Derrick Rose's doctor has cleared the Chicago Bulls' star to play, a team source said, but his long-awaited return to the lineup won't occur until he can confidently dunk off his left foot, Rose has told the team,".

"A source said that although he has been practicing and scrimmaging hard, he told the Bulls that until he feels 'in his mind' he can confidently dunk off his left foot in a game situation, he is not 100 percent mentally ready to return to competition.

"The team is not pressuring Rose, the source said, but the Bulls are confident he will return this season and are still hoping for a mid-March return, which would mark 10 months after his surgery. The Bulls play at Golden State on March 15."

It appears that those of you who have been growing impatient and considered dropping Rose in fantasy leagues should hang on a little while longer to see if he gains that confidence in his knee. If he were to return to action a week from today, the Bulls would have 18 games remaining and no back-to-backs until April 4-5. Beginning then, though, they have three back-to-back sets over the final 14 days of the season, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Rose sit out or play limited minutes in some those games.