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CHICAGO -- At a certain point while reporters directed questions at the orthopedic surgeon who performed Derrick Rose's reconstructive knee surgery, the medical jargon started to blur together.

All anyone wanted to know is when. And how. When will Rose be able to return full-time to the basketball court and how will he regain the form that has made him one of the best players in the NBA?

The short answer to the timetable question, said Bulls team surgeon Dr. Brian Cole, is eight to 12 months. The long answer was somewhat chilling.

"While he will hopefully be at a very high level in 12 months, it still may take slightly longer to be at his pre-injury level," Cole said. "That's not uncommon in athletes of this caliber."

And in one sentence by the medical professional best-equipped to predict, the reality of the situation set in. The next time we see the Derrick Rose we have grown so accustomed to watching on the basketball court, he will be 25 years old. Still young, likely still supremely gifted, but no longer a kid either.

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The skies were blue, sun shining, temperature perfect and the day miserable in Chicago, Friday. At least for Chicago Bulls fans who, though not exactly optimistic about the team's playoff chances after Derrick Rose tore his ACL two weeks ago, were left with an aching void after the Bulls were eliminated in the first round by eighth-seed Philadelphia.

The only thing left now, other than the typically frustrating rhythms of Cubs and Sox baseball and football in shorts, is to dwell on the what if's and what-will-be's.

Here are 10 burning Bulls thoughts sure to bug us all summer:

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- It is not likely to spark any great shock should the Chicago Bulls end up succumbing to the Philadelphia 76ers in their first-round series and fade out of these NBA playoffs.

Nationally, the news cycle might not even last 24 hours for the team that lost its franchise player to a devastating knee injury in Game 1, then was defeated with a guy named C.J. Watson taking his place. And even locally as some people actually dumped their playoff tickets and other more sane fans quickly predicted doom, there is likely to be a sense of inevitability along with the disappointment.

But a first-round elimination by the Bulls, currently tied 1-1 after an embarrassing home loss in Tuesday's Game 2, should spark shock and locally, it should cause outrage. And more than that, early elimination by the Bulls, coupled with Rose's injury, may well have long-term implications for a franchise, its players and a head coach whose prospects only recently seemed unquestionably positive.

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Funny, but when Kyle Korver said it Monday, it didn't feel sappy. Funnier than that, it didn't sound impossible either.

"I don't know one good sports movie where the 1-seed cruised to the championship," he said humorously but oh so seriously.

While still sad about the news of Derrick Rose's season-ending knee injury and realistic about the impact of losing last season's league MVP, Korver, his teammates and coach Tom Thibodeau actually seem eager for the challenge.

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CHICAGO -- How weary are the Chicago Bulls?

So weary that Derrick Rose's limp has a limp.

So weary that Luol Deng aged nine years on his birthday.

Not so weary, however, that coach Tom Thibodeau was willing to make excuses for one of his team’s worst performances of the year. With the playoffs drawing ever-closer and home-court advantage still in doubt, the Bulls collapsed under the weight of one of the NBA’s bottom-feeders, losing 87-84 Monday night to the Washington Wizards in a game closer than it had any right to be.

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The Bulls' Tom Thibodeau made history Monday when he reached 100 wins faster than any coach in NBA history. He could make some more history in the coming weeks if he wins the NBA's Coach of the Year award for the second straight year. No coach has ever won the award in back-to-back seasons.

Is Thibodeau worthy of the award again? Our panel weighs in on that and more:

Fact or Fiction: Tom Thibodeau should repeat as the NBA’s Coach of the Year.

Nick Friedell: Fact. Just like last season, no coach has done more with less. Thibodeau has kept up the high standards he set last season despite the fact that he has lost Derrick Rose and Luol Deng for large chunks of time. If ever a coach deserved to win the award in back-to-back years, it's Thibodeau.

Scoop Jackson: Fact. With the total games lost by players and the ability to have a 10-4 record without Rose and Thibodeau still thus far has the Bulls with the best record in the league? Pleeeeaaasssseee!!! It shouldn’t even be a close vote. I know that no one has ever won Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons, and I know there are probably "laws" in place inside the NBA that haven’t allowed that to happen before, but this time there’s no way to avoid, get around or disregard it. No disrespect to what Doug Collins has done in Philly or what Greg Popovich has done in San Antonio, but no other coach has done the MacGyver the way Thibs has. In two seasons, he’s arguably become the best coach in the NBA. A double-up on the COY award should reflect that.

Melissa Isaacson: Fact. The fact that Thibodeau just reached 100 wins faster than any coach in league history gives some substance to an argument that is not that tough to make. Once again, the Bulls' coach has his team at or near the top of the NBA standings under difficult circumstances. Despite a demanding schedule and frequent injuries to his top players, including the NBA’s reigning MVP, he has his team playing consistently outstanding defense and cohesive, winning basketball. There are certainly other candidates -- Doug Collins, Popovich and Stan Van Gundy -- but Thibodeau leads the pack right now.

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Fact or Fiction: The Bulls should bring back Andres Nocioni.

Nick Friedell: Fiction. Noch is still respected in the Bulls' locker room. Deng even said he would lobby for him to come back, but it doesn't look like Nocioni has much left in the tank. Plus, no matter who the Bulls bring in, that player won't play a major role anyway. The rotation is set and has been for a while.

Scoop Jackson: Fact. Only because another player who can play the 4-spot (and sometimes the small forward) who can score can’t hurt. Hopefully, Boozer won’t have the same playoff run he had last year and won’t have the same series against the Heat this year that he had last year, but just in case ... and hopefully, Taj Gibson will be able to contribute more, be more consistent and have a greater impact on games than he had last year during the playoffs, but just in case ... and if Luol’s wrist gets re-tweaked or he, for whatever reason, isn’t able to average 40 minutes in a series because of injury or a ref’s tripping ... all I’m saying is, with Noch the Bulls are covered, "just in case.”

Melissa Isaacson: Fiction. Nocioni is not healthy, and the Bulls don’t need him. He is at the end of his career and currently back home in Argentina after being waived by the Sixers, having averaged 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11 games this season. Those remembering him fondly for his bruising play are well within their rights, and if Richard Hamilton is somehow unable to play in the postseason, it might be an intriguing consideration, but that doesn’t mean the Bulls should sign him now.

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Fact or Fiction: The Bulls’ depth becomes less of a factor in the playoffs.

Nick Friedell: Fact. Go back and watch the Miami series from last season. The Bulls' bench is the best in the NBA, but it won't matter as much in the playoffs. Stars win playoff series, not the 10th and 11th guys on the bench.

Scoop Jackson: Fiction. The standard rule in the NBA come playoff time is that teams shrink their benches. Rotations go from Brad Gilbert to Kevin Hart. But the Bulls are going to (have to!) go totally against that systematic line of coach thinking. Thibs has given every player on this team time on the court during the regular season for the sole purpose of being ready once the playoff run begins. John Lucas III will play and will be a factor in games. Jimmy Butler will be a factor in games. The “White Mamba” will be a factor in games (OK, maybe that’s a stretch), but still ... the Bulls will be the true definition of “all in.” As we say, “Pooh-through-14.” There are no Jack Haleys here. Each player will earn a ring.

Melissa Isaacson: Fiction. Normally that’s the case as rotations shorten in the playoffs. But the Bulls’ outstanding depth is a luxury Thibodeau can use to his advantage, notably against the Heat (which the Bulls have already done). One of the most impressive characteristics about Thibodeau is that he often ignores conventional wisdom, genuinely espousing, for example, the notion that every game truly matters. Having fresh legs in the postseason may turn out to be the Bulls’ greatest weapon in the playoffs. Thibodeau, who could well go 10-deep, is not likely to take that weapon out of his own hands.

Nick Friedell covers the Bulls for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000. Scoop Jackson is a columnist for ESPN.com. Melissa Isaacson is a columnist for ESPNChicago.com.

DEERFIELD -- John Lucas III is sure to be a busy man for the Chicago Bulls, for at least the short term, as Derrick Rose rests a groin strain and C.J. Watson remains day-to-day with a left ankle sprain. But after leading the Bulls to a victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Lucas said only one thing messed up the afterglow.

In addition to hearing from his friends back home after his 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, Lucas said he got an earful from his father, John, a former player, head coach and assistant in the NBA.

“My dad was the funniest because he was like, ‘Did you say that LeBron [James] couldn't hold you when you hit that shot?' He was like, ‘You need to jump back inside your body and just relax. Calm down.' He always keeps me in line and keeps me focused for the next opponent," Lucas said.

Lucas said his background in the game has often helped him over the course of his basketball career.

“Before that [Miami] game," Lucas recounted, "my father called me and told me ‘This is how they played you last time and they were in training camp with you, so they think they have a feel for you. Switch it up, go to this, go to that.'

“It's always good to have a father who was a NBA coach and also an NBA player and can give you pointers, because even when I don't play, we constantly watch our games just in case we have to play that team again ... I'm a student still.”

A student perhaps, but not one vulnerable to being intimidated by James or anyone else.

“I remember hanging with Michael Jordan because he and my dad were good friends [when I was] five years old; playing one on one with George Gervin; being next to Isiah [Thomas], Larry Bird," Lucas said. "Larry Bird gave me his jersey after they beat my dad in the Eastern Conference championship, which I have. I've always been around it so I'm never starstruck or nervous because I've been around it my whole life. I look at it as another game, as another opportunity for our team to get better and myself to get better.”

Lucas joked that he hasn't framed his Bird jersey just yet.

“I want to get it signed,” he said. "[My dad] didn't mind at all [that I brought it home]. Bird was always one of my favorite players to watch just because he was relentless. It didn't matter. Him and Isiah were always coming at you, especially Isiah being his size, and I knew I was going to be that tall. I always watched players that I kind of knew I was going to be like -- Isiah, Damon Stoudamire, Allen Iverson, Muggsy Bogues. I was hoping I wasn't going to be that small, but just [Bogues'] relentlessness. When people said ‘You're too small to play, you won't play past high school, you're not going to play past college,' you're always out there proving people wrong.”

Lucas' shooting, combined with his relentlessness against the Heat, were credited most for the Bulls' victory over Miami, which came without Rose.

“As a team we played well,” Lucas said. “We were focused. I kept telling myself I need to step up for my team. We didn't know if Derrick was going to play or not, and I was just preparing myself if he wasn't going to play. I just wanted to go out there and play my game, bring a lot of energy on the court, make the right decisions and do exactly what coach Thibs told me to do.”

It did not come as a particular surprise to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who said sees many special attributes in Lucas.

“His professionalism, attitude and approach; the way he shoots the ball; his energy,” Thibodeau said. “And even when he's not playing in games, he's helping us in practice. What you're seeing now is the way he practices every day. He brings a lot to our team in terms of team spirit and competitiveness.”

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and a bunch of other players most self-respecting New York fans couldn’t pick out of a lineup, defeated two superstars and a global sensation Monday night.

Except for the global sensation, it wasn’t a whole lot different than most nights for the Chicago Bulls this last year and a half.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose uncharacteristically lashed out at officials during and after his team's 104-99 victory over the New York Knicks Monday night, showing his frustration at what he sees as a lack of fouls called against those defending him.

"I've gotta be the only superstar in the league that's going through what I'm going through right now," the reigning MVP said. "But I can't say too much about it."

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DEERFIELD -- Luol Deng did not participate in the Chicago Bulls’ Saturday morning shootaround and will likely sit out against the Utah Jazz because of increased pain in his left wrist.

How long the Bulls’ All-Star forward will remain on the bench, however, is not surprisingly going to be a game-to-game decision as Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau dodged anything resembling a specific question about Deng’s status.

“Guys have done it before, it’s part of the NBA,” Thibodeau said of Deng playing with an injury that requires surgery. “He’s doing fine. Nothing is happening that wasn’t expected. If he can go, he’ll go. If he can’t, he won’t.”

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CHICAGO -- A year ago at this time, Joakim Noah had missed 30 of the Chicago Bulls' first 54 games of the season with a thumb injury serious enough to require surgery. He had played just nine games with new frontcourt teammate Carlos Boozer. And the Bulls were a team that had not yet come to grips with its potential.

In February of 2011, the MVP chants were just starting up at the United Center. And Derrick Rose, fresh off a fiery pregame pep talk by coach Tom Thibodeau to be more aggressive and allow his teammates to follow, took the microphone before that night's game against the league-leading San Antonio Spurs and thanked fans for helping give Chicago its first All-Star Game starter since Michael Jordan in 1998.

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CHICAGO -- As a player, said Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles, “I practiced all the time” and admitted Wednesday that the current trend of athletes looking for rest is tough to accept.

"More and more every year in all sports, rest is becoming bigger," the former Bulls coach said. "Nobody wants to practice, and I think that’s a terrible, terrible mistake and a terrible approach to have. So the more it’s talked about, the more it’s discussed, the more players in all sports say ‘I need rest.’ "

That said, particularly as an NBA coach, Skiles said he understands the unique circumstances that this season’s compressed post-lockout schedule presents.

"We're having [the All-Star] break, and we come out with four games in five nights right out of the break," he said. "That's the difference really this year than a regular schedule when you might have four games in five nights and then three games in six nights.

"It seems like this year, it's four games in five nights, one day, and then four games in five nights [again]. It just keeps going and going. And we're all nicked up. We're beat up and all teams are. So it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to go down to the practice court for an hour and 15 minutes and knock heads when guys are all beat up."

The Bucks had 10 players in uniform against the Bulls at the United Center Wednesday night with Andrew Bogut [left ankle fracture], Drew Gooden [right wrist sprain] and Tobias Harris [right shoulder contusion] injured.

"Typically what you would do, as the season goes on, you play all these games and you have slippage in an area or two, so then you have a practice day," Skiles said. "You’re not trying to kill anybody but you say 'Hey guys, look, we're not [doing this] or whatever the two things are,' so you will practice for a half hour, 45 minutes, shoot for a half hour and get ready for the opponent for 15-20 minutes.

"Any time you have slippage now, it's very hard to catch up. It just keeps slipping and slipping and slipping. It's very hard to put your finger in the dyke. It's the nature of what we're doing but there's no reason to really complain about it. We're all going through the same thing. The best teams for 66 games would have been the best teams for 82 games barring injuries or whatever. The cream is rising to the top anyway."

The assumption by seemingly everyone was that Michael Reinsdorf would one day assume leadership of the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago White Sox or both.

Everyone but Michael, that is.

"I never wanted to go to my father and say, 'Please, let me get involved in the organizations,' " Michael Reinsdorf said in an interview this week, a year and a half after taking over as president and chief operating officer of the Bulls. "I prefer the way it kind of evolved."

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CHICAGO -- Hopefully the Chicago Bulls will not have to find out how they would fare without both Derrick Rose and Luol Deng. But they are proving that lacking one at a time, they’re still more than capable.

Monday night, with Rose back in the lineup for the first time in the last five games but Deng out indefinitely with an unspecified wrist injury and Taj Gibson out with an ankle sprain , the Bulls continued to show -- at least the lower echelon of the NBA -- that less than full-strength is strong enough.

That’s encouraging news for a team that may be looking at its biggest challenge yet as Deng seeks a second opinion on the left wrist he injured Saturday.

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CHICAGO -- He can’t win.

We know it. Carlos Boozer knows it. When he plays well, we want to know why he doesn’t do it more often. But until he can be a player the Bulls can count on consistently and -- let’s be honest -- do it against Miami in the playoffs, you’re always going to wonder if the crowd is yelling “Booze” or “Boo.”

And when he goes off as he did Tuesday night during a 118-97 Bulls victory over the Phoenix Suns, scoring 26 points in the first half (on 12-of-15 shooting) and finishing with a game- and season-high 31, you have to consider how it happened. In this case, against a defense about as imposing as the worst Western Conference stereotype, which is to say not imposing at all.

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