NEW YORK (AP) — Derrick Rose had another procedure on his right ankle, this time to address a skin infection just as it appeared he was close to returning to the New York Knicks.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose wasn’t in pain but was feeling discomfort. The 33-year-old point guard had recently begun practicing fully after he had surgery on the ankle in December.
“He actually went through practice pretty well,” Thibodeau said. “So, just one of those things.”
No timetable was given for Rose’s return and Thibodeau said he had no details other than the procedure had gone well. He said he believed it was to clean up the area where the previous surgery had been done.
Thibodeau said he didn’t believe Rose’s absence would change anything with Kemba Walker’s status after it was decided this week he would be shut down for the season. Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley were the point guards available Saturday (PHT) against Miami, with rookie Miles McBride a possibility going forward.
Rose helped jump-start the Knicks last season after arriving in a midseason trade, finishing third in voting for the Sixth Man Award. The expected return of the 2011 NBA MVP after the All-Star break provided some hope the Knicks could make another late-season push and at least get into the play-in round.
