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Rose remains patient about his NBA return

Derrick Rose gave reporters another update on his recovery from a torn ACL at Thursday’s shootaround, but, as usual, no concrete details were shared regarding a potential return date.

“It could be tomorrow and I could feel like I could play the next game,” he said at the Berto Center. “Nobody knows but God.”

It has been more than 10 months since Rose had surgery on his left knee and the Bulls are down to 16 games left in the regular season, starting Thursday against Portland. But Rose says there won’t be a point where he decides it is too late in the season to come back. The Bulls are virtually assured of making the playoffs and still have a chance to earn a top four seed in the East.

“I feel like when I’m ready to come back, I’ll be ready, no matter when it is,” he said. “I don’t care. Whenever I’m ready, I’ll be out there.

“Still taking my time. Still trying to be patient, listen to my body and just be patient right now.”

Rose was asked how eager he is to return, having not played in a game since last year on April 28 in the playoff opener against Philadelphia.

“Bad,” he answered. “But knowing that my health is the biggest key, where I’m only 24 years old, got the whole future in front of me. So just trying to take my time.”

Rose declined to put a percentage on his health. He once said he’s not coming back until he was “110 percent.”

“I really don’t know right now. I wouldn’t place a percentage on it,” he said. “I just know that I’m close and I’m taking every day serious and just becoming a professional.

“(The knee) is still about the same, where when you warm up a little bit, it gets loose, then the activity picks up and it gets back sore, so just playing through that. Sometimes (I) kind of think a little bit when I’m out there and that’s how I know when I’ll be ready to play. When I’m not out there thinking; I’ll just be reacting.

“(The explosiveness) is coming. I’m not panicking or anything. If anything, I think I’m going to be a better player. I’m just taking my time, like I said. I’m just being patient, doing all the right things, eating right and getting rest.”

The Bulls and their fans will continue to wait. There’s no guarantee Rose will play again this season, but he insisted he’s doing everything he can to make it happen.

“My activity picked up a little bit, so just getting used to running, playing five-on-five, just doing everything like I used to do it,” he said. “During five-on-five, I think I’m very comfortable when I’m out there playing. If anything, it’s much easier because I can shoot the ball way better.

“When I’ve got my teammates behind me and they see how hard I’m pushing in practice, and I see how hard they’re fighting for me on the court, it makes me want to go harder. It makes me want to be out there, too. But you’ve got to look at the big picture.”

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