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Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has plenty of critics for playing banged-up stars Derrick Rose and Luol Deng major minutes. But don't count Bulls general manager Gar Forman among them.

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"Tom does so many things well but one of the things I think he does really well is pace the team throughout the season," Forman said Friday on "Carmen, Jurko & Harry" on ESPN 1000. "I'm with the team 90 percent of the time so I see it on a daily basis, but I think Tom has a great feel for the marathon season that the NBA is and when to push guys and when to pull back, when to give them rest and when they need to go hard.

"I have a lot of confidence that we're developing the right habits and that this is part of a plan and however many minutes certain guys need to play they will play on that night. Tom does a great job with that. Obviously we talk about it all the time."

Rose re-aggravated a turf toe injury Jan. 11 and missed four straight games from Jan. 16-21. He left Monday's game against the New Jersey Nets with back spasms but returned to play 22 minutes in a rout of the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday. He expects to play Friday against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Deng, who was selected to his first All-Star Game on Thursday, missed seven games after tearing a ligament in his left wrist. He opted to let the inflammation go down rather than undergo season-ending surgery. Since his return, Deng, who is fourth in the NBA in minutes per game, has played games of 41, 35 and 34 minutes, all blowout victories.

Forman said he isn't worried about Deng and Rose holding up this season.

"A guy like Luol Deng is in such great condition he could probably play two games, and that's one of the beauties about Luol," Forman said. "He keeps his body in such great shape and takes care of his body. Derrick is the same way, really a lot of our guys are as far as getting massage and rest and treatment and those types of things. It's really not a concern."

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