Derrick Rose Return Update: On Injury Return, Rose Says Nobody Knows "But God"; Can Chicago Make a Playoff Run Without Him?

Derrick Rose may be cleared to play, but doctors telling the former league MVP that he's ready and Rose himself feeling ready to come back are two different things altogether.

And in an interview Thursday, the Bulls' celebrated point guard one again reiterated that he was still not sure if and when he will return this season.

"It could be tomorrow and I feel like I could play the next game," Rose told ESPN. "Nobody knows but God."

The date of April 28-which is just over a month away--will mark the one-year anniversary of when Rose infamously tore his left ACL in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Rose has steadily progressed in his rehabilitation to where the doctors have given him the go-ahead to play, the three-time All-Star said previously that he wanted to make sure he could dunk off his left foot-the side where he suffered the ACL tear-before he could play.

That time, Rose said, is still uncertain.

"I really don't know right now," Rose said. "I don't want to place no percentage on it, but I just know that I'm close and I'm taking every day serious and just becoming a professional."

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said that Rose was likely not going to be on the active roster for Thursday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

While the time that he has put into his rehabilitation has been lengthy, Rose is starting to see signs of his old explosiveness returning to his game.

Meanwhile, he says that he refuses to panic, making sure that he follows all of the procedures to the letter in a process that he hopes will make him a better player.

"I'm just taking my time. I'm just being patient, doing all the right things and really eating right and getting rest," he said.

However, the Bulls (36-30) don't have the luxury of taking it easy, having lost six of their last 10 games and their hold on the No.6 seed in danger of slipping to Boston, who trail the Bulls for that seed by only a half-game.

As it stands, the Bulls would play either New York or Indiana by the time the season ends-or possibly even red-hot Miami, if Chicago continues to drop games-and the last time they were in the playoffs, a game after Rose went down to injury, the Bulls dropped their series to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

The Bulls, one of the toughest defenses in the league, will be a tough out in the first round for any team with stars like Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, but without Rose, its star player, it is doubtful that they can seriously make a run at the NBA Finals.