Derrick Rose Status Uncertain For Match-Up With Kyrie Irving And The Cavaliers

It would be an understatement to say that I'm looking forward to Kyrie Irving's first ever NBA match-up with the reigning MVP and Chicago Bulls Point Guard Derrick Rose on Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena. However it would turn out statistically, in the win column, or on a highlight-by-highlight basis, I think it would be fun. The match-up would be a good measuring stick for Kyrie on this young season to be sure, but more important than that it would also be another big step in the development process for Irving.

Going head to head with an All NBA player usually is for anybody.


But there is a chance that Derrick Rose may not play tomorrow. He is not practicing today, and missed his second straight game this past Tuesday because of a toe injury that is being termed "more like a sprain". He wore a walking boot on the bench Tuesday night, and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau wouldn't say one way or another this morning if he expected to D-Rose to play on Friday in Cleveland or not.

This according to ESPN.com:

Thibodeau declined to speculate whether Rose would play against Cleveland and rookie point guard Kyrie Irving.

"We have to get the swelling out and hopefully it will be corrected and he will go from there," Thibodeau said.

"He's got a history with turf toe so we are concerned about that. But he's always responded well to treatment, but we also want to be smart so if there is risk for further injury then obviously we are not going to play him. But if he's feeling fine then we're going to play him."

Rose injured his left big toe during the first quarter of a Jan. 10 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves when Anthony Tolliver fell on him and jammed it into the floor.

The silver lining in Rose not playing is obviously that the Cavs maybe then have a chance to win, where they otherwise probably wouldn't. They could get themselves back to .500 after dropping a winnable game to the Warriors earlier this week if that proved true, but even with Rose out it'd still be a tall order. Without Rose on Tuesday, the Bulls just beat the Phoenix Suns by 21 and back-up point guard CJ Watson scored 23 points. So while it wouldn't be as tall and order with Rose out, it's still kinda tall.

Derrick Rose is a pretty tough dude though, so if there's any chance he can play tomorrow he probably will. Here's hoping he can and does, but we'll see what happens.