After successful ACL surgery, Derrick Rose’s doctor predicted that he would be out of commission for 8-12 months.

This is not news considering Rose missed 27 games of the shortened season. The Chicago Bulls managed to go 18-9 without him but failed to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Since the very beginning of the season Rose succumbed to various injuries including his left big toe, strained lower back, groin, sprained right ankle, and foot.

The worst of the worst happened on Saturday, April 28, in the first game of the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. Derrick Rose made an awkward jump, causing him to tear his ACL. The Bulls were forced to finish the rest of the playoffs without him.

Ending the season with the best record in the NBA at 50-16, there was doubt that the Bulls would be able to at least finish off the 76ers in the first round without Rose and later matchup against the Celtics. However, the 76ers proved these “certainties” wrong when Philadelphia advanced to the second round of the playoffs after defeating the Bulls in Game 6.

So, what now?

First things first, let’s be thankful that the Bulls' season is finally over. The emotional ups and downs this team has been through had taken its toll. It was better for the Bulls to get defeated in the first round rather than make it to the third and lose. That's way too much hope for a team and fans to go through.

If the Bulls continued to advance, who knows what could have happened. Too many injuries have taken control of players this season and during the playoffs. Teams were left with back-to-back-to-back games without any rest or heal time because of the shortened season.

During the first round of playoffs alone the Bulls saw not only Rose go down with injuries but also Joakim Noah, who sprained his ankle in Game 3 of the playoffs and did not return for the rest of the series. Taj Gibson and Luol Deng were also playing with injuries. It is safe to say that it was just the Bulls' time to end their season early. They need to rest and get 100 percent healthy again. It would be nice if this entire Bulls team can remain in one piece and stay together for next season.

As for Derrick Rose, his health is the main focus and fully recovering from his list of injuries may take a lot longer than expected. We saw throughout the season how one injury would lead to another, and so on. Rose’s body had had enough, and if his ACL was not torn in the first game of playoffs, it was bound to happen in the next game.

Derrick’s style of play must also be taken into consideration as he recovers. While Rose runs roughly at 20 miles per hour to the basket, he places nearly three times his body weight on his ankles during his cuts and crossovers, which would leave the average person with broken ankles. The way Rose attacks the basket is naturally more prone to injuries. He must feel a lot more than one hundred percent before even thinking of stepping back onto the court again.

The possibilities are endless when dealing with an injury so severe. Doctors have to continuously keep a close eye on Derrick’s entire body, especially after this season of never-ending injuries. The last thing anyone wants to see is Derrick Rose re-injuring himself again.

Nothing is ruled out yet. There is a possibility that Rose may miss the whole 2012-2013 season. The Bulls will have to work extra in the offseason if their All-Star could potentially be absent next year.