Bulls' Derrick Rose Dons Protective Mask, 'Getting Better Every Day'
(CBS) Though he's in good spirits in his recovery from a fractured left orbital bone and confident he can play effectively wearing a mask, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose's status for the Oct. 27 season opener remains in doubt as he deals with double vision.
"Who knows," Rose said when asked if he expected to play on opening night against the Cavaliers. "My eye's getting better every day. So that's the only thing I can worry about right now. Really just got to wait and see how it feels when I'm able to open my eyes and the double vision is gone. Just got to wait for it."
Rose compared the feeling of coming out of surgery on Sept. 30 as "like a blowtorch on your face," and his left eye remains somewhat swollen, blurring his vision. He shot jump shots for more than a half-hour prior to Wednesday's exhibition game, and on Thursday, he donned a clear, protective mask for the first time.
After some initial discomfort, he was fine with it.
"It's all about getting used to it," Rose said. "When I first put it on, it was a little bit uncomfortable. But through practice, I got more comfortable with it. It feels all right. I was able to shoot.
"It's a long process, like I said."
With a laugh, Rose said he could wear the mask for a long time if he's playing well with it.
"Who knows, man," Rose said. "I hate getting my face touched, so if it's a thing where I come out and I'm hot and I'm feeling it and we're playing good, you might see it for the rest of my career.
"I'm going to roll with it. Who knows, it can become an alter ego."
Rose confirmed that it was an elbow from Bulls forward Taj Gibson on a baseline drive -- "just a basketball play," he said -- that fractured his left orbital on Sept. 29 in the team's first practice of the season. He hasn't had any pain since the first few days after surgery and is optimistic about the recovery, though he still hasn't been cleared for contact. He's participating in non-contact activities currently in practice.
"It's reacting good," Rose said. "I haven't had any pain since the first couple of days. It's just a long process of letting it heal. You can't ice it, so you just have to live with it, looking like this for a little minute."
For a player who's had an injury-plagued career that's included three major knee surgeries, Rose was taking his recovery in stride.
"I'm just happy it's not my knees," Rose said. "My eyes, anything else, I can deal with it."