Derrick Rose injury: Bulls star could be with team vs. Clippers

Derrick Rose might be with the Chicago Bulls when they play the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night at Staples Center, Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago reported.

Rose has been rehabbing in the Los Angeles area since tearing his left ACL on April 28 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, so he could swing by to watch his team take on the Clippers:

"The main focus for him is his rehab," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said prior to the team's Friday morning shoot-around on the UCLA campus. "So that's what he's (doing). We felt it was best for him to be in one place doing his rehab. As I mentioned the other day, he started cutting and stuff so he's doing fine, everything's going according to plan. He just has to keep doing what he's doing. All I want his focus to be on is his rehab. I don't want him concerned with where we are with the team or anything like that. He's doing fine; and I want our guys here to be focused on improvement and our next opponent."

The Bulls are off to a 5-3 start and sit in second place in the Central Division behind the 5-2 Milwaukee Bucks.

The Clippers are 6-2 and sit atop to the Pacific Division. They have notched wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers, and defeated the defending champion Miami Heat on Wednesday.

The Bulls could have used Rose to counter the speed of Chris Paul and Eric Bledsoe, but will instead rely on Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson to slow the duo down.