Editor’s note: This column is written as part of a point-counterpoint. The other column, in favor of Rose returning, can be read here. 

Eleven months ago, the confidence of the Chicago Bulls and their MVP point guard Derrick Rose couldn’t have been higher.

The Bulls had clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and despite a myriad of injuries and a lockout-shortened schedule, Rose was champing at the bit to start the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.

We all know what happened next.

With nearly a triple-double and holding a commanding lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1, Rose drove to his right, planted awkwardly before a jump stop and crumbled to the ground, clutching his left knee. The iconic call of Kevin Harlan (“Holding onto his knee, holding onto his knee and down.”) rang through the nation as a stunned city watched its hometown hero go down.

In under a calendar year, the Bulls have been relegated from top seed to a middle-of-the-pack team in the East. And as the Bulls waned, their premier rivals in the Miami Heat have soared to new levels, earning a ring for the Big Three in 2012 and currently holding 27-game winning streak.

Though the anticipation for Rose to return has reached a frenzy, he should not attempt to return this season. Coming back from a traumatic injury like an ACL tear is extremely difficult, and while the world watched Adrian Peterson and his robotic knee take the NFL by storm, it is not an easy task.

I have no doubt that the youngest MVP in NBA history has put in the work necessary to get his body in top form, but there is simply no upside to coming back from the injury this season.

No matter whether the Bulls get the five or six seed, they face unfavorable matchups in either the Pacers in round one or the Heat in round two. The ceiling for this team — with or without Rose — is a second round exit.

Another aspect complicating matters for Rose’s return is all the expectations on the point guard for when he finally does return. Knowing Rose would be out most of the year, the Bulls broke up the “Bench Mob” last offseason in a cap-saving maneuver. Injuries to Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and Rip Hamilton have forced perennial reserve players such as Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli to play expanded roles with mixed results. Rose will be expected to carry the load both scoring and distributing as the only shot creator in the Bulls stalling offense when he finally does return. 

Not helping matters is all of the hype generated by the popular ad campaign from adidas, “#TheReturn,” which aired in the fall. Five months later, the buzz and excitement the campaign produced has soured into impatience with fans, especially now that the Bulls are 3-6 in their last nine games.

Despite being medically cleared to play on March 9, Rose has lingering concerns with the mental aspect of his return. Trusting his knee to respond to explosive cuts is enough to weigh on the mind without the added expectation to be the alpha-dog scorer from the opening tip once he returns. For a quiet superstar who said he is uneasy with his fame in Chicago, this isn’t entirely unexpected. 

Rose attempted to come back last year at not quite 100 percent with dismal results. After missing 12 games, Rose came back at New York and shot 8-26 from the floor on April 8. After a game off, Rose shot 1-13 against the Heat and was benched in favor of C.J. Watson down the stretch. If Rose isn’t fully healthy, his volume shooting and acrobatic attempts in the lane simply don’t help Chicago win games.

Rose needs to take six more months, scrimmage all summer with the team, ease his mental concerns and come back next season with a vengeance.

With the weight of the team and the city on Rose’s rickety knee, the Bulls need their MVP for years to come, not meaningless regular season games in 2013. 

Stephen is a sophmomore in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @steve_bourbon.