Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins told Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal that Derrick Rose could return to the lineup soon.
Rose hasn’t played since January 2 due to a left hamstring injury.
“He’s getting to the latter stages,” Jenkins said. “He’s got a lot of great work with our medical team and performance team to get right over these last couple of weeks. He’s trending in a really good direction.”
Rose, 35, has only appeared in 17 games this season due to injuries. He’s averaging 8.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.1 blocks while shooting 43.8% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 90.5% from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Derrick Rose, Memphis Grizzlies Updates
Rose signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Grizzlies last offseason. He’s making $3.2 million this season.
The Grizzlies are 18-29. They are in 13th place in the Western Conference standings. Superstar point guard Ja Morant is out for the season after undergoing season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.
Rose has career averages of 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Grizzlies. He won the 2010-11 MVP Award with the Bulls.
The Grizzlies signed Rose, who played college basketball at Memphis, to mentor Morant. Back in December, here’s what Morant had to say about Rose: “(He’s) making sure I’m still going about everything the right way, checking on me. He’s definitely been a huge help for me, and I appreciate him.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Derrick Rose, Memphis Grizzlies Updates
The Grizzlies are five games back of the Utah Jazz for the 10th spot in the West. The top six seeds in the conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, while seeds 7-10 make the play-in tournament.
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