CHICAGO -- By coach Tom Thibodeau’s timetable, the last of the Chicago Bulls' preseason games will take place Sunday night at the United Center against the Charlotte Hornets.

Sure, two more unofficial games remain before the team’s season opener at New York on Oct. 29, but Thibodeau will treat Monday’s contest at Cleveland and Friday’s tilt against Minnesota as if it were the real thing.

“The last two, you sort of narrow it down to get more toward your rotation,” Thibodeau said after shootaround Sunday morning. “But usually, the first five or six (games) you’re trying to get a look at different combinations and different people, that sort of thing.”

While that means minutes for key players -- especially starters -- are expanding, point guard Derrick Rose remains a unique situation. He still isn’t playing key fourth-quarter minutes as evidenced by the fact that he was on the bench when the Bulls rallied for a victory Thursday against Charlotte.

But there are also limited chances to get Rose's minutes to where they need to be.

“Yeah, to me, (with) his injury, he is different,” Thibodeau said. “He’s been out for basically 2½ years. We just have to continue to be patient. He’s feeling better and better, so that’s a good sign, and he’ll be fine.”

Rose played 21 minutes Thursday, but every other starter played more, including workhorse Jimmy Butler, who played 31 minutes and still hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. In fact, two reserves -- Taj Gibson and Kirk Hinrich -- played more minutes than Rose, while Tony Snell matched the former MVP’s playing time.

“Just keep building,” Thibodeau said when asked if Rose will get more fourth-quarter minutes soon. “We’re not fixated on, ‘Is it 21 minutes, is it 28 minutes, is it ...?’ Just keep building. Just keep moving forward. I think that’s the best way to approach it. We want him to make sure he feels good about it and we’re going to go from there.”

Perhaps as big of a concern for the Bulls is that they are running out of time to get into a flow among so many new faces that include Aaron Brooks, Pau Gasol, Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic.

“There is always jelling to do; it’s basketball,” Joakim Noah said. “You need to build that chemistry and I think it’s going to keep getting better and better.

“Every time you step on the court, every time you step together as a team it’s good ... if you put the work in.”

Asked about Thibodeau’s tactic early in training camp to ramp up preparation because the team wasn’t where it needed to be, Noah gave a crooked smile.

“It doesn’t matter; right now that’s not my focus,” Noah said. “My focus is just being as ready as possible as possible for the regular season and taking it day-by-day. I’m excited. I think we have a very good group, guys who work hard, guys who are focused on the right things, so I think it’s going to be great.”