Panic is the first word that comes to mind when I think of a Bulls team without Derrick Rose.  He has been nursing an ankle injury all preseason and hasn’t played much the last couple weeks.  Mostly it has been ignored as a minor injury and since no one cares too much about the preseason beyond me and a couple other diehards, the media didn’t pay too much attention.  Until yesterday that is:

Coach Vinny Del Negro created a stir late Monday when, for the first time, he said it’s possible the inflamed tendon behind Derrick Rose‘s right ankle could keep the guard out of the Oct. 29 season opener against San Antonio.

“Yes, it is in the realm of possibility,” Del Negro said. “I hope it isn’t. But yes, it’s a concern.”

Posed the exact question last Friday, Del Negro had said that wasn’t a possibility. Reminded of this, Del Negro backtracked a bit.

“I don’t think he will (miss the opener),” Del Negro said. “But I thought he would be back the other day.”

Rose ran and shot jumpers for the second straight day, placed his health at “80 percent” and said there’s “no way” he’d miss the opener. He hasn’t played since suffering the injury in the Oct. 2 exhibition opener.

You have to love Rose for wanting to play so bad, but in all honesty if it really is just a nagging injury, wouldn’t it be better to let him rest it and make sure he’s 100% before throwing him out there on national television for the opener and maybe injuring it more?  I know the Bulls have a tough early schedule, but my gut instinct is that this is not a big deal, and if he misses a game or two letting it heal fully that’s not a problem.  He has dealt with nagging injuries before, if you remember he missed summer league last season with some kind of knee injury.  Regardless of what happens lets all cross our fingers and hope its nothing serious.