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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose did not participate in any scrimmage drills Monday as the Bulls held him out for what coach Tom Thibodeau called 'planned rest.'

"We cut him out today," Thibodeau said. "It was planned rest. He did some, the warm-up phase, but today was a planned rest day for him. ... We went shorter today. We had a teaching segment that of course he participated in and then the warm-up phase, but then the live stuff we were planning on giving him today off."

Rose, who has not played in an NBA game since tearing his ACL on April 28, 2012, is still rehabbing the knee injury and Thibodeau has spoken openly about the organization's desire to take the process day to day. The veteran coach acknowledged that they may have more planned rest days for Rose throughout camp.

"We'll just see," Thibodeau said. "With all our players, usually the third day, this is the fifth practice, so we're dealing with heavy legs. We just thought we'd give him today off. Mentally he's sharp, he did his conditioning off the floor and he'll be ready to go (Tuesday)."

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Taj Gibson isn't hiding his excitement about having Derrick Rose back this season.

After spending the past year and a half dealing with the uncertainty surrounding Rose's status after knee surgery, the relief that players and coaches have knowing that the former MVP is going to play this season has permeated throughout the first few days of the Bulls training camp.

"It's great," Gibson said. "I'm getting the same good looks I used to get in the past. My corner jump shot has been fantastic these last two days. Just the whole outcome of how he's been finding guys, and how guys are finding each other, it's just magnificent. Having so much fun the last day and a half in training camp, even though I hate two-a-days, but it's been fun. I can't lie to you, it's been fun."

Rose's presence on the floor has that kind of impact on his team and his teammates are excited about all the possibilities with him on the floor.

"It's important because of who he is and what he does for our team," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of having Rose back. "I think the fact that he's hard-working, team-first, those are all things that are a big plus for us. He sets the tone for our team. He's our leader. And I think last year he had to make a tough decision. He did that. But as a leader he's never been afraid to make a tough decision. I think he's prepared himself for this and we're ready for the next step."

Rose has been working up to this moment for awhile. His reputation has taken a hit from some critics who believe he should have returned after being medically cleared by team doctors last season. But he is confident he has prepared himself the right way for this season.

"Don't tell Thibs," Rose said after Saturday's first practice, "I had workouts harder than this. For real, I worked out three times a day so for us to actually go through practice and have water breaks and all that, that's something I normally don't do in my workouts. So it's hard but I'm used to it."

Rose has played with the core group of Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Gibson before, but even Thibodeau acknowledges that there will be some rust for everyone to take shake off working Rose back in.

"There's an adjustment, but he's been around," Thibodeau said. "Obviously, the core of the team has played with him before so that's to me a big plus. But you have to re-establish your chemistry. We always start from a zero base the next year and build from there but the fact that these guys have been together for a while is a plus."

The biggest plus for the Bulls is seeing Rose around the Berto Center and knowing that he is ready to go.

"First of all I think that Derrick really did the right thing in terms of sitting out last year," Noah said. "(He) got extra time to rest his knee and be ready. This is not an easy injury to overcome and for him to have that extra time really is going to help our chances of winning it. We know that we need everybody healthy at the end of this (season) for us to make a run -- him more than anybody -- so it's very, very exciting. Couldn't be more ready."

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Taj Gibson doesn't have to explain what he focused on most during his offseason conditioning -- the evidence is etched into his bulked up 240-pound frame. The veteran forward said that he added 15 pounds of muscle over the last few months and feels like a different player on the floor.

"I think I bulked up a little bit more," Gibson said after Sunday's first practice. "Being in the playoffs the last couple years, it gets more and more physical. I put on a ton of weight. Mostly I went out (to California) and just lifted, worked out with Derrick (Rose). I'm 240 (pounds) now. Just trying to build confidence -- it's coming. I know the plays, I know the offense, I know players' strong suits. Once you get confidence in this league, you can take off. It's all about confidence."

Having confidence is a mantra that Gibson is focusing on. He wanted to add some more muscle to his lanky frame but he admitted that Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau was a little concerned at first about just how much mass the USC alum was adding.

"He was a little bit worried about my weight because he didn't want me to get kind of fat," Gibson said. "But he wanted me to be lean, more muscle, and it's been great."

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau knows that star point guard Derrick Rose is going to have to shake off some rust as he makes his return to the floor after sitting out the last year and a half while rehabbing from knee surgery -- but the veteran coach is pleased by what he has seen up to this point from the former MVP.

"There's some ups, some downs," Thibodeau said after Sunday's first practice. "It's not just him; that whole unit has to get used to playing together. Playing to their strengths, covering up their weaknesses. Right now the big thing is it's not only his timing, but it's everybody's timing and spacing and execution and that's on both ends."

Thibodeau acknowledges that Rose's teammates will have to get used to playing with him again but he doesn't expect that to take very long. Thibodeau is happy to see all the open looks that Rose is creating from the outside for the rest of the group.

"Any time a player commands two (defenders) being put on him, what it does is now you're four on three away from them," Thibodeau said. "There are long closeouts, you're forcing the defense to collapse, you get rhythm 3s and it's a lot different. Like I think in transition any time you force the defense to collapse, you hit the paint and now you're kicking out and you're walking into those 3s, a much higher percentage."

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Two years ago, Jimmy Butler was a rookie going through a Tom Thibodeau redshirt year.

After a year of spotty minutes and long practices, Butler saw the rewards for his hard work. He became a rotation player in his second season and eventually an iron man starter.

Now heading into his third season, Butler is slated to be the starting shooting guard and very likely either the low-price (for now) answer to the Bulls’ backcourt search or the replacement for Luol Deng if he leaves for free agency next season.

For now, Butler has to learn to play alongside his friend Derrick Rose, which means playing fast. What does Butler think the biggest adjustment will be playing next to the former MVP?

“Getting used to being so wide open because he draws so many double-teams and everybody has to help off him,” Butler said.

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With training camp almost here, Nick Friedell previews every player on the Bulls roster.

Derrick Rose

Age: 24 | Pos.: G | Salary: $17,632,688

Role for Bulls in 2013-14: The star. Bulls fans have been waiting to see Rose on the floor for over a year -- now it's time to see how he looks. Rose will be expected to lead the Bulls offensively, but it is unclear how much he will be able to undertake early given that he hasn't played in so long.
Obviously, the Bulls are going to go out of their way to make sure their franchise star feels comfortable heading into the year, but it will be up to Rose to be open with his coaches and Bulls executives as to how his knee is feeling day to day.

What happened this summer?: Rose continues to spend time in the gym with his longtime trainer Rob McClanaghan as he gets his body in order for the grind of another NBA season. He has done two promotional tours for adidas, one in which he traveled through Europe and another in which he is traveling through Asia. During a stop on the first tour, the former MVP made headlines by telling CNN that he still feels as if he is the best player in the NBA. That confidence bodes well for the soon-to-be 25-year-old moving forward.

What does the future hold?: That's what everybody is waiting to find out. If Rose can return to the form he had before his injury then all the criticism he took last year will be a thing of the past. If he struggles early to find his game, many fans will wonder if he will ever get back to the level he was at before he hurt his knee. It was a personal decision not to play last season for Rose, but it seems as if a portion of the fan base has stopped giving him the benefit of the doubt. His play is the only thing that can win back that group's trust again.

Bottom line: Rose controls his own future -- and that of the Bulls. If he plays well, almost all fans will cheer for him again and he will lead his team back to prominence. If not, Rose's reputation will continue to be questioned by people who believe he should have come back at some point last year to take some of the rust off.

Derrick Rose's game might evolve a bit in his first season back from knee surgery but the Chicago Bulls star's stance against recruiting free agents to Chicago hasn't.

"I don't recruit. If anyone wants to play with me, I don't mind playing with, it could be anyone in the NBA, but as far as recruiting, I never did and never will," Rose told rappler.com in a video this week.

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Gar Forman has never wavered in his thinking.

The Chicago Bulls general manager has maintained over the past few years that his team is in the midst of a championship window because of its young talent and coach Tom Thibodeau, who meshes it all together. When Derrick Rose went down with a knee injury during the first game of the 2012 Eastern Conference playoffs, Forman and his staff understood that those championship aspirations may have taken a hit for a while, but they were always confident that the window, described by Forman as open for five to seven years, was not shut.

As the Bulls get set to begin this season, one in which they expect Rose to return to his old form, they would be wise to take another long look at that window and do everything they can to reach the mountaintop this year.

That's because the window, at least the one with the current Bulls core, will be closing after this season if they can't make it happen. Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler are locked up for a few more years, but players such as Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich could all be gone next summer.

With Rose in the fold, the Bulls will always be competitive, but the argument could be made that this roster, as constructed, gives the Bulls their best opportunity to win a title for the next few years. The Bulls don't have the second primary scorer to take the pressure off their superstar, but they do have a talented group that sees the financial writing on the wall. In all likelihood, the final year of Boozer's contract will have the amnesty clause used on it next summer.

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Derrick Rose's reputation and his game are two separate entities. They are not interconnected forever -- which is an important distinction to make as the new NBA season rolls around.

Rose's reputation took a major hit last season when, after being medically cleared to play by team doctors with several months left in the season, he decided not play a single second. He was chastised by frustrated fans for not finding a way to be on the floor to help out his ailing team during the playoffs. In the midst of all the consternation surrounding his decision it's important to recognize a fact that never wavered despite the swirling perception around the MVP: While Rose's pristine public image took a hit, his game remained the same.

As the NBA gets set to enter a new season, one filled with championship expectations for Rose and his Bulls teammates, it feels as if a portion of fans simply forgot how great Rose was when healthy. Obviously, there's no guarantee that Rose will return at the same level after having surgery on his knee over 16 months ago, but many within the Bulls organization are convinced the 24-year-old Rose has a chance to return and be the same player -- if not better.

"He's put a ton of time into his shooting because basically that's all he could do along with his rehab stuff," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said during the Las Vegas Summer League in July. "Each year that Derrick's been in the league he's added to his game. So this is a continuation of all the things he's done in the past. Every summer he's concentrated on something and we may see more post-ups and things of that nature, more catch-and-shoot for him also."

Up to this point in his career Rose's game has been largely based on speed and quickness, the ability to change directions in the blink of an eye, but even if he doesn't come back with exactly the same burst, his game would be even more rounded with the addition of a more consistent jump shot.

The re-emergence of Rose, combined with the remaining core of Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson and free agent Mike Dunleavy, Jr. is formidable. If that group can stay healthy the Bulls should be right in the middle of the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Do the Bulls have a chance to knock off the Miami Heat in a seven-game series? Absolutely. Do I believe they will if LeBron James stays healthy? No.

Same goes for the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference. Indiana made some nice moves this summer and Paul George is getting better every season. Danny Granger will be back and looking to prove all of his doubters wrong as he heads into a contract year. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce's presence can only help a Brooklyn Nets team that managed to lose a seven-game series to a Bulls team that played without Rose, and Deng and Hinrich for a majority of the series. But in the end, if James stays healthy, all three of these teams are likely playing for second place behind the Heat.

It's within this battle for second that one of the most interesting storylines of the season will develop. After taking the Heat to a Game 7 in last year's Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers believe that they are the closest to knocking the Heat off their throne. Roy Hibbert has turned himself into an All-Star center and Luis Scola's presence on Indiana's roster will make them even stronger.

Some believe that Brooklyn, with Garnett and Pierce joining All-Stars Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, can push the Heat more than any other team in the East. Garnett and Pierce figure to give new coach Jason Kidd the type of passion that was sorely lacking at times last year in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, given their salary cap restrictions, the Bulls didn't make many splashy moves. Butler heads into the season as the starting two guard, but will he be able to maintain the success he had towards the end of last season? Dunleavy is a solid addition, but he doesn't have anywhere close to the star power of Garnett or Pierce. Still, under Thibodeau the Bulls have developed the type of defensive-minded system that other teams salivate over. Noah, Deng and Butler have proven to be three of the most dependable defenders in the league and play hard every night.

The Bulls may not have added a major piece in the summer, but they are getting back their most important piece of all -- Rose.

Amid all the hoopla and anger surrounding Rose's decision not to play, many seem to have forgotten that he won the MVP award just a couple seasons ago. In that MVP season of 2010-11, Rose averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds and missed just one game. In his injury-riddled 2011-12 season he still averaged 21.8 points, 7.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 39 games.

George, Granger, Pierce and Garnett are all great players -- but none of them have the type of talent Rose has. If Rose can prove he is close to the same player he used to be, he will lead his team to that showdown against the Heat everyone has been wanting to see again.

The Bulls might be playing for second place this season but, with Rose back in the fold, at least get the order straight when it comes to ranking teams behind the Miami Heat. It's the Bulls -- led by Rose -- and then everybody else.

In just over a month the Chicago Bulls open training camp and begin working on what figures to be a promising season. Derrick Rose is back, Joakim Noah had a summer to rest his perennially injured foot and they might have found a long-term shooting guard in Jimmy Butler after his development last season.

But there are still plenty of questions for a team that hopes to return to the NBA's upper echelon with their star back leading the way.

1. Will Rose play at an MVP-level in his first season back from knee surgery?

Count me in the group that believes that after a few months of working out the kinks, Rose will be back to playing like his old self. He is too talented, and has worked too hard on his game over the course of his rehab to believe that he won't be the same player again. He knows there will be pressure on him to perform the same way and he is looking forward to proving all of his doubters wrong.

2. How does Tom Thibodeau make sure his team is healthy at playoff time?

The key for Thibodeau is to follow through on his intended plan. He already stated this summer that Joakim Noah's minutes would come down and that Luol Deng's workload may shrink by a few minutes here and there. He must follow through on that plan now -- even if it costs the Bulls a few regular season wins. Bulls management will continue to try and remind Thibodeau that there is a bigger picture in place, but it will up to the coach to take his foot off the gas ever so slightly. He is well aware of the criticism he receives. Now he has the chance to change the perception regarding how he doles out minutes.

3. Will the uncertain Bulls futures of Deng and Carlos Boozer be a distraction this season?

Only if both players struggle to contribute early on -- and that's not likely given how solid both have been the past couple seasons, especially Deng. The safest bet is that both players will hit on the fact that they just win this season and they'll see what happens after the season ends. Having said that, both are both smart and they can see the writing on the wall. It's a near certainty that the Bulls will amnesty Boozer at the end of this season and Deng's future with the Bulls is up in the air unless he decides to take a significant pay cut, an option that appears unlikely at this point.

4. Can Butler replicate his playoff success for a full 82-game season?

Butler has spent the summer working on his game and appears confident that he can take the next step in his progression this season. He is going to have an impact this season, but I don't believe it will be as big as the one he had during the playoffs last year. Without Rose, Deng and Kirk Hinrich on the floor during much of the playoffs, Butler was asked to play all 48 minutes most games and be a force on both ends. With Rose back in the fold he won't be asked to do nearly as much. The key is that Butler must find a rhythm with Rose, who he has not played with much in his career. If Butler continues to play solid defense and develops a consistent jumper, his season will be viewed as a success whether his minutes get cut slightly or not.

5. Will the Bulls be dealing with Noah's foot problems again this season?

Yes. Until Noah proves he can stay healthy for an entire season this will continue to be a problem for the Bulls. The All-Star center spent the summer working out with his personal trainer and close friend, Alex Perris, but both he and the Bulls know that they must find a way to get the plantar fasciitis in order. Thibodeau noted Noah's minutes would come down this year -- but it's a situation the organization must continually monitor throughout the season.

CHICAGO -- Tom Thibodeau says he knows it will be a tough haul for his Chicago Bulls team to climb to the top of the Central Division this season. That's because the veteran coach believes the division is as talented as it has been in some time.

"Our challenge will be a great one," Thibodeau said in an interview with Bulls TV on Wednesday. "Each year you're faced with new and different challenges. I think the Central Division is as strong as it's been in a long time from top to bottom. Of course, Indiana continues to add quality players to their team. They had a terrific season last season. Cleveland has made a lot of additions to their team, getting the No. 1 pick in [Anthony] Bennett and adding [Andrew] Bynum to the mix, so they'll be dangerous. I think Detroit has added a lot with Josh Smith and then of course Milwaukee, everyone tends to overlook them, but I think they're going to be very good as well. So it will be a great challenge for us."

As far as the early part of the training camp schedule goes, Thibodeau says he knows it will be a little different from normal. That's because the Bulls start their preseason schedule with a pair of road games in Indianapolis and St. Louis (against the Memphis Grizzlies) and then head to Rio de Janeiro to face off against the Washington Wizards.

"It will be a little hectic, but I think it's good for our team," he said. "We're looking forward to going over there. Being on the road early makes it a little different for us because we won't have time in between to really settle down to go over there. We're only going to be over there for four days. But I think it will be a very positive experience. I like it for team-building reasons, particularly early in the season. And then once we get back from Rio, we'll be home for a while so hopefully we can get our legs under us and continue to build and develop and be ready for the season. We have a very tough schedule and we're going to have to be ready for it."

As usual, Thibodeau has already broken down each part of the upcoming schedule.

"We have a lot of road games early," he said. "The back-to-backs are down a little bit, but we also have an inordinate amount of games in which we're playing at home [and] the night before we're playing on the road so we have to be ready for that challenge."

Aside from the schedule, everyone within the Bulls' organization knows the biggest topic of discussion will be the health of superstar Derrick Rose. When it comes to that subject, Bulls general manager Gar Forman sounds confident Rose will be ready to go on the first day of training camp.

"I don't see any reason where he wouldn't be," Forman told Bulls TV. "He continues to make great progress. He's had a good summer of work. He's been in L.A. He's training on a regular basis. He feels good, he's looked good. He's had a couple trips with adidas where he's traveled overseas so everything's real positive on the Derrick front."

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- A healthy Kirk Hinrich said Monday that the anticipation is building for the return of equally healthy Chicago Bulls teammate Derrick Rose.

Before playing in a charity golf event Monday to help promote the PGA Tour's BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club Sept. 12-15, Hinrich said he has talked to Rose on multiple occasions this offseason.

"I saw him a few times, but not for a while," Hinrich said. "He's traveling around and getting ready himself. You can just tell he feels excited to have the opportunity to get back out there and just play basketball. That's what he loves to do and we're excited to have him back."

While fan reaction toward Rose has been split between those who can't wait to see the former MVP play again and those who thought he quit on last year's club by delaying his return from surgery to repair his ACL, Hinrich says the team has no such conflict.

"We're excited," Hinrich said. "We think we'll have a really good team. Hopefully we'll have some better luck health-wise. We're getting Derrick back and it's going to be great. I think we're going to be a very good, very deep team."

After injuring his calf in the Bulls' triple-overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Hinrich missed the final eight playoff games as the team was eliminated by the Miami Heat in the second round. While some speculation centered on Hinrich possibly dealing with the injury well into training camp, he said he is fine now and ready to head into the final season of his Bulls contract.

"If I wasn't healthy I wouldn't be out here (playing golf)," he said. "I'm feeling much better and feel like I've had a good offseason. I had time to take care of my body, heal up and start preparing for next year."

The Bulls open the regular season Oct. 29 against the NBA champion Miami Heat on national television, but Hinrich isn't as much focused on that marquee matchup as he is diving into the full schedule.

"I'm very excited," said Hinrich, who averaged 7.7 points per game last season and was a key to implementing coach Tom Thibodeau's signature defense from the backcourt. "We have most of our guys back. We had some great additions. The anticipation of Derrick coming back healthy and it sounds like he's motivated. We think we have a very good chance and it will be very good."

CHICAGO -- It was Mike Ditka who said, "Those who live in the past are cowards and losers."

Write that down to repeat the next time someone whines about the games Derrick Rose didn't play last season.

As much fun as it was to debate and complain about his never-realized return date, the time for dwelling in the disappointments of the past are almost over. Just a few more months until he's actually back. It's easy to forget that Rose is this city's biggest star.

Like Ditka, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't believe in dwelling in the past. At least not after he dissects tape of it.

With that in mind, the future is closer than ever for Rose and the Chicago Bulls, now that the NBA released its schedule for the 2013-14 season.

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The Chicago Bulls know more than anyone how much a single injury can change the course of a season, but with Tom Thibodeau at the helm, the organization has developed a type of consistency level that many teams around the league envy.

Assuming Derrick Rose is back in the fold, the Bulls are expected to be at the heart of the title conversation this season. Obviously, it's impossible to try and predict what will happen over the course of an 82-game season but if the Bulls can stay upright they have a great chance to be one of the league's best.

Here's a prediction on how the season may unfold:

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Derrick Rose's likely return headlines what is one of the most anticipated Chicago Bulls' schedules in recent memory. Here's a quick look at 10 of the most intriguing matchups on the 2013-14 schedule that was released on Tuesday.

Bulls at Miami Heat, Oct. 29: The regular season opener. This is scheduled to be Rose's first regular season game since April 25, 2012. This is also the Heat's ring night and the fans in Miami will be going nuts. This is the game all Bulls fans, and league executives, will have circled on their schedule.

New York Knicks at Bulls, Oct. 31: The Bulls' home opener. Rose is scheduled to play his first game at the United Center since tearing his ACL against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first game of the 2012 Eastern Conference playoffs.

Cleveland Cavaliers at Bulls, Nov. 11: Rose and Cleveland star point guard Kyrie Irving have yet to face each other in a professional game. This would mark the first time assuming both are healthy.

Bulls at Los Angeles Clippers, Nov. 24: The Bulls get their first shot at the new-look Clippers led by Doc Rivers. It will be interesting to see how Rose and Co. handle Chris Paul in the middle of their first long West Coast swing of the season.

Heat at Bulls, Dec. 5: LeBron James and his teammates make their first appearance in the United Center this season. Don't think they've forgotten that this was the place their 27-game winning streak ended last season.

Bulls at Houston Rockets, Dec. 18: The Bulls embark on arguably their most difficult back-to-back of the season as they face Dwight Howard and James Harden in Houston and then follow that up against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder the next night.

Bulls at Brooklyn Nets, Dec. 25: Rose and his teammates have always talked about what an honor it is to play on Christmas Day. They'll get their chance again this year against the Kevin Garnett-led Nets in Brooklyn.

Bulls at Golden State Warriors, Feb. 6: After struggling for years at Oracle Arena, the Bulls picked up a blowout win there last season. With Andre Iguodala in Golden State and Rose back with the Bulls, this game should be action-packed. Plus, Tom Thibodeau will face Brian Scalabrine, now an assistant coach on Mark Jackson's staff, for the first time.

Heat at Bulls, March 9: The Bulls are back in a familiar role -- playing a Sunday afternoon nationally-televised game against the league's best. This is the final time in the regular season these two teams meet and should be a good primer for a possible Eastern Conference finals showdown.

Indiana Pacers at Bulls, March 24: This rivalry has gained a lot of steam over the past few seasons. Many pundits believe the Pacers have passed the Bulls as far as threats to the Heat go. Thibodeau will have his team amped up for this game.