Nov. 27--Derrick Rose says he has been tired and fatigued.
Many Bulls fans say they are becoming sick and tired.
And coach Tom Thibodeau? Don't even ask.
The lingering "Will he play or won't he?" saga has everyone exasperated and on edge.
Thibodeau said he decided to sit Rose in the second half Tuesday night in Denver because he appeared tentative and ineffective for the most part with his left hamstring strain.
"The defense and the speed of the game ... and the fact that we played (Monday) night," Thibodeau said during his explanation. "It's a compilation of things. It wasn't any one particular thing. It was just: 'OK, this is the situation; this is where we are.' And I'm not going to take a chance. That's basically the bottom line."
Following the meeting of the minds in the Pepsi Center locker room, Rose agreed caution was the better solution with the next game coming Friday night in Boston.
"Just listening to (Thibodeau), I agreed with him," Rose said. "I felt like I wasn't (playing) the way I wanted. We have a good team. I just gave it a shot with my teammates.
"I'm just trying to be smart. Back-to-back ... got fatigued and I didn't want to take any steps back. So take these couple of days off, head to Boston, give it a go in Boston."
Rose scored just two points in 9 minutes, 52 seconds during the 114-109 loss to the Nuggets. Defensively, he was a step or two behind the opposition.
"Both ends of the floor ... offensively it felt like I couldn't get where I wanted to go. Defensively, just the speed of the game ... just wasn't ready for it," Rose said. "Fatigue-wise, and just trying to be smart.
"It's not like I'm limping or I pulled it again or anything. It wasn't any of that. It was just that I wasn't moving the way I wanted to while I was on the floor. I pushed through it until I wasn't able to affect the game the way I wanted to. So I came in (the locker room) and talked to Thibs. We both agreed on it, just sitting out."
Rose is aware of the constant criticism, impatience and skepticism he is facing publicly.
"Can't let it get me down," he said. "I know that at the end this is just going to be minor, but it's a long season and we just have to keep going and I know the team ... they are not worried about me. I should be good.
"I just know my destiny is big. It's just putting me through a lot right now, for some reason. I don't know. The only thing I can do is stay consistent with my workouts and get the most out of every day. And everything else is out of my control."
Asked if he regretted trying to play back-to-back games, Rose replied: "No regrets at all. Obviously, if I was to re-pull it or injure it again I would have a regret then. But if anything, none. I had no setbacks, I have no pain. It was just fatigue. I was just trying to be smart."
With a 9-6 record, the Bulls are weathering a storm of injuries that have included Taj Gibson (ankle), Joakim Noah (eye and knee), Kirk Hinrich (chest) and others.
Jimmy Butler, who has scored 32 and 25 points respectively the last two games, says Rose is being prudent with his injuries.
"It's important, everybody's health, to tell you the truth," Butler said. "And a hamstring is nothing to play with because that can lead to other things. I think he is very smart and doing the right thing. We need him long-term, not short-term. Definitely long-term, so he's right for what he is doing."
No Noah update: Thibodeau said he could not speculate on Noah's availability to play Friday against the Celtics. "That's day-to-day," he said.
fmitchell@tribpub.com
Twitter @kicker34
