Derrick Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season as he recovered from his torn ACL, but Tom Thibodeau said he is beginning to feel like himself again.

"I worked him out about a week ago," Thibodeau said on Thursday. "It was great."

The Chicago Bulls reached the second round of the NBA Playoffs without Rose.

"Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence," Thibodeau said. "(Reporters) may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he's there now. He feels great, and that's the most important thing."

Rose was medically cleared in mid-February and practiced in 5-on-5 situations while also working out pre-game.

"The kid was being totally honest," Thibodeau said. "At the end of the day, you have to respect that. He wanted to be out there very badly. But no one knew when he would be ready, including him. It was a smart decision to wait. If you're not quite sure, and you're going to err, err on the side of caution. That's what he did. And now he feels great."