Derrick Rose Return & Injury Update: Rose Now Taking Full Contact, With Noah Injured, Bulls In Need Of Star's Skills

Derrick Rose is making another big progression in his return from injury-a sign the injury-laden Chicago Bulls should welcome after having lost another star this week.

Rose is now able to take full physical contact in practice, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed this week.

With Rose able to participate in the simulation of full NBA game contact, that essentially completes the last major hurdle of the former league MVP's rehabilitation. The main thing that Rose will be focusing on now will be to get back into the swing of actual NBA play.

"He can do all the cutting, he can do shooting, he can go off the dribble," Thibodeau said. "So it's just a matter of him getting acclimated to playing in a game situation.

"You have to understand that in practice you're striving to get as close to a game-like intensity as you can, but you also have to understand that you're not going to be able to get there, so that will be a whole different level. And we have to make sure that he's ready to handle that intensity."

The Bulls could surely use Rose's famous intensity these days. Joakim Noah, the Bulls' stellar All-Star forward, is now on the shelf after confirming he is dealing with plantar fasciitis, an ailment in his left foot that has previously sidelined in 2010.

The injury to Noah came on top of injuries to Carlos Boozer (hamstring) and Kirk Hinrich (right elbow), all of them sitting on Saturday during Chicago's game against the 26-19 Atlanta Hawks.

Even without Rose, the Bulls are now tied with Indiana at 28-19 for the top record in the Central Division, a testament to the depth and talent of the Bulls. All-Star Luol Deng looks like he'll be taking on a larger role in Chicago's play as they press on towards the All-Star break and the midway point of the season.

Which is why they could use Rose back sooner rather than later. However, the Bulls are making it clear that there is still not a set timetable as to when their superstar player will be finally cleared to play, though the likelihood is increasing that it will happen after the All-Star break.

"There's no date," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said on Monday. "The doctors say that he's doing everything that he's supposed to be doing and there's no specific date.