Bulls' Rose out 4-6 weeks after successful surgery

Derrick Rose underwent successful surgery Friday morning to address the medial meniscus tear in his right knee, and will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks, Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman announced.

That projected timeline would see Rose back in the Bulls' lineup some time between late March and mid-April, just before the start of the postseason. Forman said he expects Rose back before the end of the regular season.

Rose, who suffered a torn right ACL during the 2012 playoffs and a previous tear to his left meniscus in 2013, had the damaged portion of his meniscus removed on Friday. He had it repaired after last season's injury.

Rose was averaging 18.4 points, five assists and 3.1 rebounds, but some of that was thanks in part to his 16.9 field goal attempts per game and bloated, team-leading Usage Rate of 31.3. Rose struggled shooting the ball in his return to the court this season, posting an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 45.4.

Nevertheless, the Bulls were performing slightly better with the former MVP on the court as opposed to on the bench.

The Bulls, who dropped a home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, sit fourth-place in the Eastern Conference at 36-22, a half-game behind the Central Division-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.