Derrick Rose is one step closer to his return, but at the same time he's still a long way off for Bulls fans. Head coach Tom Thibodeau says Rose "could'' return to full contact practice this week, but that nothing is guaranteed just yet. The Bulls continue to take a wait-and-see approach with their MVP point guard, preferring to have him 100 percent healthy when he finally does return to the court.

From The Daily-Herald:

Coach Tom Thibodeau suggested the long-awaited "next step" in Rose's return from a torn ACL — full contact practice — could happen this week.

Before getting too excited, Thibodeau emphasized the word "could" when he spoke. And it's also unclear how much practice Rose will need before being cleared for game action.

"He has to go through that (full-contact practice) for an extended amount of time," Thibodeau said before Monday's game. "It's not going to be, 'OK, one or two days of contact and he's going to be out there.' That's not going to happen.

"Just be patient. Everyone has to be patient. He's doing his part. He's showing great patience. Everybody else has to. He's got to continue to focus on rehab. Our guys have to focus on their improvement and our opponent."