Derrick Rose returned to Chicago Bulls bench for Indiana Pacers game on Sunday night.
Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is edging closer to a return, but coach Tom Thibodeau is maintaining his calls for patience.
Speaking ahead of the Bulls game against the San Antonio Spurs, Thibodeau told reporters on Tuesday that Rose was now “day-to-day”, which suggests it may not be too long before the ‘Windy City Assassin’ returns to the court.
“It’s day-to-day. So whenever he’s ready, he’s ready. We just want him to continue to improve, focus on his rehab, and then when he’s ready to go we’ll all know. Everyone has to remain patient,” he told the media according to ESPN.
The latest update appears to suggest that the Bulls are now comfortable with where Rose is at in his recovery, and the decision on when to return is solely in his hands.
Considering an interview last month in which Rose said he would only return if he felt “110% ready”, it all now depends on how comfortable he feels.
The 24-year-old Chicago native has regularly watched games from the locker room during his rehabilitation, but suited up and took to the bench for the loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Despite becoming a fixture of the pre-game warm-ups, Thibodeau and the Bulls franchise will be all too aware of the difference in playing in the intensity and full-contact of an NBA game.
Thibodeau’s calls for patience still suggest that Bulls’ fans will have to wait a little longer to see their star point guard back in action, but it is getting ever closer.
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