Rose: Rip might be back before me
The Bulls aren’t sure when Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton will return to the lineup, but Rose predicted Monday he could finish second in that race.
“He (Hamilton) is looking good. He’s moving better than I am right now,” Rose told reporters at Monday’s shootaround. “He’s in the practice. I’m just on the side, just watching.
“But he’s moving good. If anything, I think that he’ll be able to play any given night. He’s shooting a lot of shots. You saw him over there, after practice shooting. He’s getting back to his regular self.”
Rose missed his seventh game with a groin strain on Monday, while Hamilton has been out with a bruised right shoulder since the opening minute of the March 5 game against Indiana.
All told, Hamilton has missed 35 games this season, including 24 of the last 29. But coach Tom Thibodeau thinks the time will come when the Bulls benefit from having Hamilton back in the lineup.
“He’s missed a lot of time, but it’s actually encouraging the way he’s moving right now,” Thibodeau said. “And the fact that he’s a veteran, I think, helps. We won’t know where he is until we get to where he’s playing in the games. We’re concerned, but we feel it’s going to be a big plus for us.”
Missing defense praised:
The Bulls’ defense was on its heels during Monday’s loss. Before the game started, Nuggets coach George Karl talked about why the Bulls ranked second in the league in points allowed at 88.7 per game.
“Their commitment to do it right every time,” Karl said. “They are a multiple-effort team. They’re conceptually very strong.
“(Joakim) Noah kind of quarterbacks their defense and they don’t give you many easy possessions. They give you a tough 48-minute game, just by their attitude, their energy, their enthusiasm and effort.”
Rose saving legs:
Derrick Rose tried to find a silver lining to his groin injury, which has kept him out of the lineup for two weeks. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll return on Wednesday at Atlanta.
“Hopefully when I’m out there, you’ll see someone with fresh legs and a lot of energy,” he said. “I know my conditioning will be a concern, but hopefully the more games I play and get ready for the playoffs, I should be all right.”
Bull horns:
The Bulls became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot. … Center Joakim Noah was not fined beyond the normal punishment for Saturday’s ejection. … Denver is playing without Danilo Gallinari (broken thumb) and Rudy Fernandez (back).