Derrick Rose will going to make roster

Derrick Rose also indicated that the decision to sit wasn't entirely his to make, suggesting the training staff along with assistant Team USA coach and Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau had something to do with it.

 The odds of Rose staying with the team are overwhelming. He's going to make roster, he won't pull out, and he'll be with the team. It just may be up to the other guards on the roster, particularly Stephen Curry, James Harden, and  Kyrie Irving, to cover in the event that he experiences any discomfort. The Bulls, and Rose, can't afford to risk anything. But Rose is simply too highly regarded by the staff, no matter the risk, to affect his position.

But despite Rose's ability to play Friday, and a widespread "This is nothing to worry about" sentiment, there are real roster concerns here. Rose was sore after weeks of practice and after an exhibition game. What happens when he has to play multiple games in a row, on short rest? "Well, then he'll sit" come the answer. But a. is it in the best interest of the team to leave itself short on depth, especially down low, in order to bring a player who's a superstar that has wowed the coaches in practice but may not be able to consistently go, and b. is it fair to the other players who have worked as hard as they have to earn a spot in which they can actually go, game by game?

But the reality is this: the coaching staff, from head coach Mike Krzyzewski, to Thibodeau, to assistant Jim Boeheim have all raved about Rose in practice. The big picture doesn't seem to be playing much part in this process. Damian Lillard has been a better overall player than Kyrie Irving the past two years, but Irving has looked better in practice and in the exibitions, so he's likely in. DeMarcus Cousins is the best overall big man outside of Anthony Davis that the team has, but the coaches simply don't like what he brings.

Friday night's not really the question. The immediate is never the concern with Rose. The long-term, the future, is always where things get dicey. The best situation, though, is that the team was trying to look at other players.