Load management has become one of the NBA's most polarizing topics. During a conversation with Bulls legend turned NBC Sports analyst Will Perdue, Derrick Rose shared his thoughts on franchises preserving their star players.
"I don't think I would have taken it as far as Kawhi [Leonard]," Rose said. "But if load management was around, who knows? I probably would've still been a Chicago Bull by now. But, it wasn't around. And I was doing what's best for myself, for my family. At that time I had to think solely for myself."
Derrick Rose will forever be one of sports' "what if?" stories. In 2011, the 22-year-old became the youngest MVP in NBA history. The next year, he suffered a torn ACL during the playoffs. This started Rose's battle with knee injuries which has hindered his career. Although he's been able to reshape himself as a consistent rotation player, the explosiveness that made him a top tier NBA star never returned.
Similar to Rose, Zion Williamson also relies on his explosiveness to make plays. Yet he hasn't seen any action this season because he's nursing a surgically repaired meniscus. Because Rose has seen pretty much everything the NBA has to offer, Perdue asked if there was any advice he would give the No. 1 overall pick. The point guard recognizes that he and Zion don't share the same body frame, but he thinks Williamson should focus on his weight during the recovery process.
"First it would be your weight," Rose said. "I remember playing for the USA team the second time... We were getting MRIs and I was still feeling pain in like my knees certain days. It all came down to my weight. Nobody said nothing about my weight."
Rose then explained how their situations differ and what Williamson will have to do mentally once he returns from injury. "I had the chance to learn the league. Play through my mistakes. I got injured year three or four," Rose continued. "He got injured right away. So he has to learn his body, learn the league, learn what his skills are."
