Chicago Bulls rumors 2016: Derrick Rose expected to play soon

Derrick Rose and Joakim NoahReuters

Each time Derrick Rose complains about something related to his knees, the Chicago Bulls and their fans can only hold their breath and hope that such turn out to be nothing serious.

And the only way to determine if that is the case is through the dreaded magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), something Rose has frequently been through in the past years.

Rose has been saddled with injuries in the past years and a lot of it was because of his troublesome knees. With the former National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player (MVP) somehow blending in with the group this season, the last thing that he and anyone would want is another sidelining.

Thankfully, the MRI on Rose showed no structural damage, although the Bulls star is still not assured of returning.

Rose is still complaining about soreness on his hamstring, something which he says is a result of the Bulls' tough grind in the last week. Rose is, apparently, trying to remedy all the issues he is feeling but as it is turning out, such has become a problem.

But it seems head coach Fred Hoiberg is not about to force the issue and play Rose immediately. He will be a game-time decision, meaning he may or may not play depending on the situation the Bulls find themselves in.

Without Rose in the lineup, the Bulls are surprisingly holding out well. In fact the Bulls are 4–1 without Rose per the Chicago Sun-Times. This means the Bulls guard can still be rested until the soreness (hamstring) and the swelling (knees) go down to more manageable levels.

But while the franchise star's MRI results are a big reprieve, the Bulls may have to wait longer for veteran forward Joakim Noah. Noah's shoulder, which he injured back in December against the Brooklyn Nets, has not yet fully healed, meaning his status remains uncertain for now.

Unlike Rose, however, Noah is expected to miss more time, especially if the evaluation done on it doesn't render positive results.