Thibs to see Rose easing way back into form

His first practice of the new season went fine, then Derrick Rose proved he was feeling healthy enough to expertly deflect repetitive questions from reporters.

Rose was asked Tuesday if he had anything new in his skill set this year. He was asked the same question Monday.

"Everyone keeps asking that. I don't know. What more do you all want?" Rose answered with a laugh. "I'm just going to try to play my regular game; take shots, look at the game and see what it's missing first.

"If it's missing rebounding, assists, whatever. Whatever category is missing, I'm just going to try to fill it in with the way that I play."

Coach Tom Thibodeau had an interesting assessment of Rose's latest injury comeback. Thibodeau thinks Rose is showing more patience this time when it comes to returning to form.

"Last year, he was trying to get it all back in one day," Thibodeau said. "Right before he got reinjured, he started to find a good rhythm again. So he was 10 games into (the regular season). I think this time, he's not rushing like he did.

"But, still, there's a fine line for him. Be aggressive, find a rhythm, but don't force it. I don't want him overthinking. I want him to play."

Playing for Team USA this summer presumably gave Rose a head start on the season. He had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee last November, roughly 18 months after tearing the ACL in his left knee.

Butler stays patient:

The Bulls have until Oct. 31 to agree to a contract extension with Jimmy Butler, otherwise he'll be a restricted free agent next summer.

The deadline is still a month away and these things can go to the wire, such as when the Bulls came to terms with Taj Gibson with about an hour to spare two years ago. Butler felt optimistic about the process when he spoke Tuesday.

"I want to be here. I think the Bulls want me here," Butler said. "However long it takes, as long as we get it worked out. Basketball is really my main focus, not my contract situation.

"Everybody handles it differently. For me, it's locking into the game. I talk about it with my family, but they tell me the same thing: The more you put your mind into basketball and work on your game, the less time you have to think about your contract."

First things first:

Coach Tom Thibodeau used the starting lineup everyone was expecting at Tuesday's first practice: Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah.

He called out veteran point guard Aaron Brooks as having a good day.

Thibodeau also plugged Monday night's team activity - the first official meeting to tip off the new season.

"Your most important meeting of the year, it's your goal-setting meeting," he said. "You talk about how you're going to go about your business. Then you see who is willing to make that commitment.

"It's a long grind. The mental part of it is critical. The physical part of it is critical. But we have to have the ability to do it day after day."