'Derrick Rose Has To Go Out There and Play' – Tom Thibodeau

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be exhausted with the daily pre-game and post-game Derrick Rose health questions as the defensive tactician finally responded to Derrick Rose health issue questions after the Bulls halted a two-game losing streak against the Utah Jazz Monday, 97-95. Thibodeau got his full line-up back with his all-star point guard returning to 25 minutes of action contributing 18 points (5-of-10 shooting) and addressed the elephant in the room.

"Oh, I don't know. Jesus. He's got to get out there and play," Thibodeau said to ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell. "I thought he did a lot of good things. You could see he's not real comfortable with the ball yet, but that will come."

The 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) has been in and out of the line-up for much of the first 15 games of the season. The explosive guard has missed 6 games attributable to a pesky hamstring and two sprained ankles. The Bulls are being cautious with his health considering the almost two years that he has missed due to troublesome knees. In his place, several of the Bulls players have stepped up and kept the team on top of the Central Division with a 9-5 standing.

Jimmy Butler, who is set to become a restricted free agent in the summer, is proving that he is worthy of the big payday after upping his points per game average to 20.8 while adding close to 6 rebounds and 3 assists per outing. Coach Thibodeau was all praises for the young player when he recalled a game against the Los Angeles Clippers where Butler provided big shot after big shot. He remarked that Butler has been playing great basketball this early in the season.

Other than Butler, the three headed monster of Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and new acquisition Pau Gasol have been terrorizing opponents in the paint. Noah is displaying his defensive player of the year form by limiting opponents to just 50% in the shaded area while the Big Spaniard is showing that he still has a lot of left in the tank by leading the team in rebounds (10) and blocks (2.5). Taj Gibson who should be starting for some other teams is leading a bench mob while scoring at an effective rate on the floor (55%).

Nevertheless, the numbers dictate that the Bulls can go only as far as the health of Rose allows them. Thibodeau's insistence that Rose has just got to get some games under his belt rings true especially that the problems of the point guard can only be quelled by assuming comfort in the hard court. Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets is a sign towards the right direction as Rose is active in the back-to-back format of the schedule. In the meantime, Thibodeau cannot expect the constant Rose health queries to go away as long as his star continues to be pulled in and out of contests.