The Bulls' season is five games old and already has featured as much drama as a good crime novel. Will Derrick play? Does Thibodeau dislike rookies? Is Benny the Bull insane?



Here are some answers to your questions.



Is there any upside to D. Rose playing in game four of the regular season on two gimpy ankles? -- Patrick, Carmel, Ind.



No, but game five was must-win. Seriously, though, this Rose drama has been largely overblown. And I've had my fun and moments with it as well, since listing him in the starting lineup in two straight games that he didn't even play seemed ridiculous. But it's really as simple as this: Rose is making the decision with the consultation of the training and medical staffs. And, really, that's how all injury situations are handled. Management isn't sitting on high making some grand pronouncement about saving Rose for the long haul. (Though management is trying to set a big picture mentality with soft minutes restrictions for certain players.) Thibodeau isn't involved in the process. Rose is warming up, seeing if he can go and then making the call with training and medical personnel he trusts. I do think there's a benefit to him playing if he is able, given how much time he has missed. Playing if he doesn't feel comfortable doing so doesn't make sense this early in the season, or, really, at any time other than the playoffs.



This may seem like a silly question but I'm asking it anyway: Why don't these guys get flu shots? Joakim Noah makes nearly $155k per game, so he shouldn't miss one for an easily preventable reason. Isn't it in the Bulls' best interest to ensure the players don't get sick? Flu shots really do work and it seems crazy that a billion dollar industry would ignore this fact. -- Tim, Ithaca, N.Y.



The Bulls, like any sports team I've covered, do offer flu shots. I haven't asked Noah specifically if he got one, but I'm assuming he did. What I will say is "flu-like symptoms" has covered everything in the NBA from a hangover to an irregular heartbeat. (Hello, Eddy Curry.) That's not to say this is what happened here. It is to say flu-like symptoms doesn't necessarily mean the flu. In this case, I'm told Noah just got very, very sick, with a fever and bad cold. He appeared in the postgame locker room in Milwaukee and I assume he'll try to play Friday in Philadelphia.



Will Thibs give the rookies some quality minutes in crunch time to give them some type of experience going into the playoffs? -- Brad, Bedford Park



They've already had some. There's this erroneous depiction of a blanket rule for Thibodeau that he won't play rookies. Omer Asik played his rookie season. So did even Tony Snell, whom Thibodeau often has in the doghouse, though Snell's playing time was necessitated by the Deng trade and Butler's injury. Thibodeau would play you if it helped him win a game. Yes, he will rely on his veterans and the players he trusts more often than not. But it's clear Thibodeau is fond of both of these rookies' work ethics and demeanors. And while crunch-time minutes may be scarce if everybody is healthy and available, they will be in the rotation.



Do you have any thoughts on Ray Allen being spotted in Chicago? Where would he even fit in the rotation? Who would lose minutes? I just don't see it happening. -- Scott, Naperville



The Bulls have stayed in contact with Allen's representatives to see if he will play this season. If he chooses to, they'd certainly add another shooter.



Jimmy Butler has looked better and better each season. How does he stack up against Luol Deng's first three seasons (plus a handful of games)? It almost feels like the only reason to treat him as a lesser player is because he was drafted 30th overall. -- Dan, Chicago



Deng averaged 11.7, 14.3 and 18.8 ppg in his first three seasons. He averaged 5.3, 6.6 and 7.1 rebounds. And he played an average of 27, 33 and 37 minutes in those years. Butler averaged 2.6 points, 8.6 and 13.1 points in his first three seasons. He grabbed an average of 1.3, 4 and 4.9 rebounds while playing an average of 8.5, 26 and close to 39 minutes per game. Butler is on track to have a breakout season, but let's wait until he makes even one All-Star game to compare the two.



Some of us are curious about Mike Dunleavy and his adjustment to Coach Thibs' defensive play expectations and his assimilation into a regular rotational role. From what we see on the Tube, Mike is playing very well. Yet, his demeanor is always stoic and expressionless, impossible to know whether he is having a good time, whether he is emotionally vested in the outcome of the game. What is Mike's take on the team, his role, and whether his game is a good match for Thibs' style of play? -- Paul, Elk Grove Village



When you grow up around the NBA, as Mike did with his father coaching, you've seen it all. Where you see stoicism and expressionless, I see a healthy skepticism and a been-there-done-that realism. Mike loves the game, loves finally playing for a winner (last season was his first on a team with a winning record) and possesses one of the great dry senses of humor in the NBA.



Any chance we see Mike Dunleavy back next year? Or do you see the organization going with McDermott if he has a solid year this year and proves he could be a starter in the near future. I like MDJ a lot, not only his all-around game but his basketball IQ and veteran presence. But I just don't see him back next year unless he takes a discount contract. -- Zach, Sleepy Hollow, Ill.



He took a discount contract to be here the first time. My guess is McDermott will replace him, although who knows? If he takes another value deal, he could stick around as a valuable reserve. I know he's happy here. I also know -- and Mike's dry sense of humor would appreciate this -- that back-to-back questions about Dunleavy is my sign to end this mailbag.



Talk to you soon,



K.C.