Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Thursday that Derrick Rose is "doing great" in his rehab from ACL surgery, and he's hoping Rose will return in the second half of the season.

Rose tore his ACL on April 28 during a playoff game, and underwent surgery May 12, and he was expected to be out eight to 12 months. He's been shooting and running for a while, and he started cutting on the knee more than a month ago.

"He's right on schedule," Thibodeau said on "Mike & Mike In The Morning" on ESPN Radio. "He's not ahead of schedule. He's not behind. We have to be patient. It's the type of injury that you have to take your time with, and when he's ready to come back, he'll be ready to come back. There is no time scheduled for it."

Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has said he won't allow Rose to return until he's 100 percent.

"He's doing a lot, but he hasn't done anything with contact," Thibodeau said. "So we're going to go step by step. First he has to get into practice and he has to practice well for a while. And then we'll move on from there.

"Hopefully at some point during the second half of the season he'll rejoin us."

Even with Rose out, the Bulls (14-10) have maintained the lead in the Central Division.