Feb. 27--The Chicago Bulls won't have guard Derrick Rose in the lineup for their game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night at Philips Arena.
Rose said the right hamstring tendinitis that kept him out of their game against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night was improving but the veteran was limited during Friday's shootaround.
"It's improving but I still have to be patient with it," Rose said before the team announced he wouldn't play Friday night.
The Bulls are 6-2 without Rose in the lineup this season. He said the uncertainty regarding his leg problems is something he anticipated heading into this season.
"It's a process," Rose said. "I already put in to my mind that the year was going to be a long year and all I could do was work on my body, control what I can control and all the other stuff is out of my hands."
Said coach Fred Hoiberg: "It's making sure we're not putting any risk out there. As far as long term, our doctors and trainers don't seem too concerned with that."
Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler is with the Bulls and according to Hoiberg, "had a good workout."
"I believe Saturday is when he's going to get another MRI to see how things look in there. Now the big thing is if we deem him ready to go it's getting him back in condition and getting him through a couple of practices, scrimmaging and get him comfortable trying to explode off that leg. He still has some soreness in there. We'll know a lot more (Saturday) after the test.
"He's pushing off it better but still not full movement, full explosiveness off that," Hoiberg added. "When you're out here doing one-on-0 workouts it's so much different with the timing and the five-on-five and the explosiveness you have to have not only offensively but defensively. So we're still a ways way from getting him out there."
