DERRICK ROSE entered the remodeled Bulls locker room at the United Center on Monday night and squinted at the lights through a partially swollen left eye.
Though Rose didn’t have a formal session with reporters on his first day back with the Bulls, he said the fractured left orbital bone he had surgically repaired on September 30 is feeling better and he’s scheduled to be fitted for a mask on Tuesday.
With Rose expected to be cleared at least to run this week, the Bulls remain hopeful he’s ready for the bright lights of the regular-season opener on October 27. Like most things at this time of the National Basketball Association calendar, it’s a work in progress.
“From Derrick’s standpoint, the biggest thing is just getting out of the house,” Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He was getting such cabin fever. The opportunity for him to get back in here is very important.”
Rose watched the Bulls’ 123-115 exhibition loss to the Pelicans from the locker room because Hoiberg said Rose still experiences blurry vision occasionally.
How well Rose’s conditioning responds and how easily he adjusts to wearing a mask will determine whether he is ready when the regular season comes into focus. It will also be important to see how his vision responds once he begins activity.
“It’s still very swollen, but he’s definitely making progress from when I saw him a week ago,” Hoiberg said.
For the third time since Rose suffered the injury in the first practice of training camp on September 29, coaches reviewed film with him. This time, the session came after the morning shootaround.
“He still isn’t able to do anything as far as court work,” Hoiberg said. “Hopefully he’ll get clearance in the next couple days to at least get a sweat going and get a little bit of running.
“Different guys learn different ways. It’s very important once we get him back to show him and be able to run it firsthand to get the timing right. But he’s able to pick it up quick. It’s a lot of the same things we were doing, just adding on different wrinkles and different options.”
As for Monday’s game, Hoiberg again started Kirk Hinrich, Jimmy Butler, Tony Snell, Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotić. Gasol logged some second-half minutes for the first time in his second exhibition appearance. Hoiberg continues to insist Doug McDermott will draw a start. Snell shot 23.3 percent in the first three games.
“I like the rhythm that Doug’s had coming off the bench,” Hoiberg said. “Tony had his best defensive game in the last one. He’s taking good shots, had a couple that were in and out. He takes a little pressure off of Jimmy in that lineup because he can guard the other team’s best perimeter player.”
The Bulls continued their penchant for three-pointers, launching 18 in the first half. Bobby Portis took advantage of Mirotić’s foul trouble to score 13 before halftime.
“He’s more comfortable with his shot,” Hoiberg said of Portis. “He’s defending. He’s not backing down from anybody. He plays with great energy.”
Image credits: AP