Rose awaits news on all-star status
Derrick Rose was missing, while Joakim Noah is in the waiting room.
The Bulls are anticipating a couple of major events, each with different time frames.
Rose will find out Thursday night if he's voted a starter for the NBA All-Star Game. The Bulls haven't had an all-star starter since Michael Jordan in 1998, if that wasn't obvious already.
But Rose was absent from Wednesday's practice at the Berto Center because of flu-like symptoms. The Bulls don't think it's any cause for concern.
After Monday's win over Milwaukee, Rose said that his back was killing him, so a little extra rest figures to be beneficial.
“Every guy in the league right now is banged up,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think he manages things well. He takes really good care of himself. He's an aggressive player. He's always attacking the rim. So he's going to get hit and he's just got to continue to take care of himself.”
The all-star starters will be announced on TNT at 6 p.m. during a special pregame show before the Miami-New York game. The All-Star Game is Feb. 20 in Los Angeles.
The most recent balloting returns released Jan. 13 had Rose second among Eastern Conference guards, with a roughly 75,000-vote lead on Boston's Rajon Rondo.
The other probable starters are Miami's Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, Orlando center Dwight Howard and New York forward Amare Stoudemire.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley mentioned recently that Rose is now his pick for the NBA's best point guard. During an appearance on WMVP's “Waddle and Silvy Show,” Barkley added another potential honor for Rose.
“I think Derrick has surpassed (Utah's) Deron Williams as the best point guard in the NBA, and I think right now he has to be the front-runner for MVP,” Barkley said.
“He's been fantastic, and I think when you look at the Eastern Conference, and I've said it all along, the Chicago Bulls to me are the most dangerous team if they get everybody healthy.”
Speaking of getting healthy, Noah was working up a sweat Wednesday, just one day after getting a pin removed from his surgically repaired right thumb.
Noah's right thumb was heavily bandaged, but that didn't stop him from shooting a series of left-handed hooks. Noah would take the ball from assistant coach Rick Brunson and simply cradle it in his left hand before going up for the shot.
Carlos Boozer interrupted his interview session to admire the sight.
“Look at my man Joakim,” Boozer said. “Got the pins out yesterday and he's shooting hook shots today. We're very excited. We've been waiting for that a long time. It's just good to see him out here.”
Noah tore a ligament in his right thumb Nov. 27, then waited until Dec. 16 to have surgery. He was projected to miss 8-10 weeks. The eight-week mark arrives Feb. 10, the day after the Bulls visit Utah.
The nine-week mark is Feb. 17, when the Bulls host West-leading San Antonio for their final game before the all-star break.
“He's on schedule, maybe a little bit ahead of schedule,” Thibodeau said. “The next step will be getting him onto the court to do noncontact stuff. He's probably a week or two away from that.
“Once he can get through the noncontact part of practice, then the next step will be contact in practice. When he gets through that, then he plays. He's still two steps away.”