Nick Friedell, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Should there be concern over Derrick Rose's lack of crunch-time minutes?

CHICAGO -- The most intriguing moment of Thursday night's game did not come when Jimmy Butler drained a winning 3 at the buzzer over some Atlanta Hawks bench players. It came with 6 minutes, 7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when Butler came to the scorer's table to check back into the game with Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol.

That instance was a lot more important than a meaningless preseason win because of who was not with Butler, Noah and Gasol when they went to check in: Derrick Rose.

After saying since training camp opened that players need to learn how to play with Rose again, coach Tom Thibodeau decided to leave his star on the bench when he brought back the rest of the core of his starting unit. After the game, the veteran coach brushed the decision aside, saying he expected Rose to play in the fourth quarter of the Chicago Bulls' final three preseason games.

"[He's] still not comfortable yet, but he's getting there," Thibodeau said of Rose. "Just want him to be ready when he does go in there. He's close, though. He's close."

But he's feeling fine?

"He said to [Bulls athletic trainer Jeff Tanaka] that he was done," Thibodeau said. "He was going pretty hard in the third. So [we'll] wait another game, see [how he's feeling], make sure."

The patient approach is a prudent one when it comes to Rose's status. The Bulls should go to extreme lengths given Rose's recent health history to make sure he is comfortable when he's on the floor, especially in just the fifth preseason game of a long NBA season.

But that Thibodeau didn't go back to Rose -- and that Rose didn't sound too concerned about not being in for the stretch run -- is telling. If nothing else, it shows a distinct change in philosophy from player and coach.

During Rose's last four preseason games a year ago, the former MVP averaged almost 32 minutes per game. He played down the stretch in games and became accustomed to taking pressure shots again. He wanted to be back on the floor all the time to show the rest of the world, and himself, he could still play at a high level.

A year later, Rose, at least outwardly, seems content to allow the preseason to play out at a slower pace, appreciating the long grind of a new basketball campaign.

"I think my body is going to hold up," Rose said. "I think I worked too hard. I'm not worried about minutes. I could care less about them. Just trying to be patient and do exactly what they tell me to do."

Rose always has been a people pleaser, but he seems intent on listening to himself, and his body, more than ever. That's what makes the present situation a little trickier this time around for Thibodeau and the Bulls.

The coach has voiced his displeasure several times about the medical restrictions being placed Rose and Noah during the preseason. But on the night Noah took another step in his progression by coming back into the game in the fourth quarter, Rose sat quietly on the end of the bench watching the action.

Should fans be worried because Rose didn't come back, or should they be excited that he is taking a different approach to his latest comeback?

Rose said he would like to have been in the game late, but he knows there will be more to play for in the future. He said he didn't talk to Tanaka about the 20-minute runs he's been getting in the preseason. It just kind of happened.

"I would [like to be out there], but at the same time be patient," Rose said. "It's no rush at all. Knowing how hard I worked, I'm not worried about it. Just when the time is right, it's right."

If Rose isn't worried about his playing time, should the rest of us be? It's an interesting quandary for the entire organization.

On one hand, Thibodeau has said all summer that in order for Rose to find his rhythm again, he must play. On the other, Thibodeau doesn't want to upset his star player and risk putting him into a situation he's not ready for right now.

Maybe Thursday's decision not to come back into the game will be insignificant over time as Rose eases his way back into playing after so much time off. But in the short term, the Bulls know they must play together in order to find the consistency that has eluded them throughout much of the preseason.

"We just have a lot of work to do," Noah said. "And yeah, continuity's important. Right now we're in a situation where we got to find the right balance. We've got guys coming back from injuries; that's a reality. And continuity is very important as well, so we got to find the right balance.

“It's not pointing fingers at anybody. We just got to find ways as a team to make this work, and I know we will."

Nobody is blaming Rose for his decision to sit a few extra minutes Thursday night. His teammates and coaches all want what's best for him in the long term, and they know they can't win a championship without him. After all, championships aren't won in October.

But the seeds of a championship run are planted now.

The confidence that has defined Rose's game has to be built up again.

In order to do that, the former MVP has to trust his body can withstand all the minutes coming his way. He'll get plenty of chances in the near future to prove he does.

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