Derrick Rose's Long Journey Back to Superstardom Is Only Just Beginning

For Derrick Rose, winning a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball came with a silver liningand not the good kind, either.

Following a strong training camp that had even Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski declaring the Chicago Bulls star and former MVP had returned to being elite, per ESPN.com's Nick Friedell, Roses tournament performance left us with far more questions than answers.

Chief among the latter: After sustaining a pair of knee injuries that kept him out for the better part of two full NBA seasons, Roses road back to superstardom is only just beginning.

Of course, that hes even on that path at all is a testament to both the miracles of modern medicine and Roses own unimpeachable determination, facts that the three-time All-Star heartily acknowledged in a post-tournament interview with NBA.coms Sam Smith:

I think this was just a preparation test for me. Just coming here, really learning my routine, becoming a pro. Im going to transfer this onto the next season with the Bulls because I think this really helped me with recovery wise, taking care of my body, eating rightI still have to get my rhythm back. But as far as Im concerned, I think performed good.

Good might be a bit of an overstatement: In eight FIBA appearancesall off the benchRose registered a mere 4.8 points and 3.1 assists on 26 percent shooting, hitting just one of his 19 three-point attempts in the process.

Thats not to say there werent bright spots. Rose was steady-solid in his teams quarterfinals win over Goran Dragic and Slovenia (12 points on 6-of-10 from the floor), and for the most part, he seemed comfortable careening around the court in his typical frenzied fashion.

But with just two weeks remaining before the start of Bulls training camp, its become increasingly clear that Roses game is still very much a work in progress.

Luckily for Bulls fans, the pressure about the shoulders of Chicagos resident Atlas stands to be measures more manageable with the arrival of a player for whom FIBA served more as a renaissance than a rite of recovery: Pau Gasol.

Gasol, who signed a three-year, $22 million tender on July 14, was easily one of the tournaments most incendiary performers. And while Spains gold-medal gambit fell short in a shocking semifinals loss to France, Gasolwho averaged 20 points and 5.9 rebounds on 64 percent shootingproved he remains one of the games elite big men.

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Derrick Rose's Long Journey Back to Superstardom Is Only Just Beginning