Imrem: So you think you have Rose worries?

Bulls' human uncertainty Derrick Rose must drive John Paxson and Gar Forman crazy.

Yes, even more crazy than he drives Bulls fans.

This is the fourth straight season that the Bulls would confirm that GarPax know what they're doing or don't know what they're doing.

The first season Rose blew out his knee in the playoffs. The next season he refused to return to play in games despite being cleared by doctors. Last season he suffered another knee injury after 10 games. This season …

Well, this season Rose sprained both his ankles in the Bulls' second game, missed the next two games, was downgraded from probable to questionable early Wednesday and - whew! - was in the starting lineup Wednesday night in Milwaukee with his minutes still being limited.

"You can't put somebody out there that's not comfortable being out there," Tom Thibodeau said.

Oddly, the Bulls' coach actually is further validated every time he keeps the Bulls respectable when Rose watches from the bench.

But Forman, the general manager, and Paxson, the vice president of basketball, need Rose if they're going to be validated by reaching at least the NBA Finals.

So the assumption is that GarPax have to be both frustrated and frightened wondering what Rose's body had planned during the 2014-15 season.

Is Rose a malinger or legitimately injured? Is he fragile or simply soft minded? Is he pacing himself? Has his big contract changed him? Is he listening too much to his advisers? What is the latest version of this guy all about?

Outsiders' impressions are all over the board - Rose is this or Rose is that or Rose is a little of this and a little of that.

Paxson and Forman are closer to the situation and should be more informed as to what's going on with Rose.

Then again, close might not count here. Maybe Rose is as big a puzzle to GarPax as he is to the outside world. Maybe they can't get inside his head any more than the rest of us can.

Not that Forman and Paxson can do much about Rose anyway. They owe the former MVP point guard a godzillion guaranteed dollars and can't afford to disrupt his mental flow.

GarPax are confident enough in their team building skills to want to see how it turns out if and when Rose blesses them with consistent good health.

Personally, I'm confused as to how Forman and Paxson put the Bulls in position to contend for a title even with a healthy Rose.

There isn't much flash to these guys. They haven't been able to make a big splash in free agency. Yet the Bulls still have a measure of dash with or without Rose.

Sure, Paxson and Forman were lucky in the lottery to draft Rose first overall in the first place. Sure again, much of the credit for the Bulls' success since is due to Thibodeau's coaching, but Forman and Paxson hired him.

Still, without a series of high lottery picks, GarPax hit on the likes of Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler later in the first round, traded a couple of picks to move up for Doug McDermott, wound up with Nikola Mirotic out of Europe and have filled in every season with capable bench players.

All that said, GarPax won't be viewed as all they want to be unless Rose is all he should be and makes the Bulls all they can be.

The problem will be if Rose has tender ankles now, then maybe a retina issue, then maybe back spasms, then maybe the flu, then maybe some other malady mysterious or otherwise.

"Everyone has to be patient," Thibodeau said. "There'll be some ups, there'll be some downs."

That murmur you hear are the heartbeats of John Paxson and Gar Forman going up and down every time Derrick Rose goes up and down the court.

Mimrem@dailyherald.com