Nov. 15--Derrick Rose's strained left hamstring is improving, but the Chicago Bulls guard will sit out Saturday's home game against the Indiana Pacers. Rose, who suffered the injury late in Thursday's victory over the Toronto Raptors, remains day to day.
"It's a lot better today than it was (Friday)," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We'll just see how it goes."
Though Thibodeau wouldn't confirm this, Kirk Hinrich has worked with the starters in Rose's absence and did again at Saturday's morning shootaround. Aaron Brooks is scheduled to play extended minutes as Hinrich's backup because Hinrich is quietly on a minutes restriction as well.
Saturday will mark the fifth game of 10 that Rose will miss. The Bulls begin a two-week trip on Monday in Los Angeles.
"As soon as he's ready," Thibodeau said of when Rose might play. "If he needs time, we're going to give him time. We just have to be patient. It's going to work out and be fine.
"Look, he was out for two and a half years. He's coming back and playing a physical game. There are going to be times he gets banged up a little bit. A sprained ankle is a sprained ankle. It could happen at any time. It could've happened in his MVP year. It probably did happen. But when you're out that long, you're not used to that.
"Same thing with (the) hamstring. He needs a little time. He said he's feeling a lot better and is doing more. So we're just going to work our way through it. The thing I love about the team is Hinrich has been great as a starter. Brooks has been great playing big minutes. We've got a lot of guys ready to step up. And that's the mentality we have to have."
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