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Rose remaining cautious with body, will work on 'individual goals' next season

Jerry Lai / USA TODAY Sports

Missing 212 games due to injuries over his previous four seasons has led to the Chicago Bulls taking an understandably cautious approach with regard to the health of the city's native son, Derrick Rose.

Rose - who sat out Thursday's overtime nail-biter against the Philadelphia 76ers, giving his left knee time to heal - has seen his mental fortitude and decision to focus on the distant future instead of the present called into question in recent years.

However, as criticism has blown his way like a Windy City gale force for ages, the former MVP's reasoning for playing it safe has not wavered.

"This is all part of the process," Rose told the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson on Friday. "Coming into the season, I was just trying to play as many games as possible."

Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg supports the team's plan to protect his star floor general. "You have to take a cautious approach and he has handled it well," Hoiberg said.

Interestingly, Rose indicated that he's looking to the 2016-17 campaign as his opportunity for a true renaissance.

"Next year, that's when I throw in my individual goals," he said.

This ambitious forward-thinking is admirable, although it may not be what Bulls fans want to hear as their team - currently third in the Eastern Conference after winning seven of the last 10 games - gears up for what they hope will be a deep playoff run.

Time is of the essence for this Bulls squad. Jimmy Butler has hit a stride that has made him a legitimate concern for opponents, Pau Gasol is still playing at a high level, and Nikola Mirotic is on the cusp of becoming a consistent threat, making the need for a healthy and hungry Rose all the more urgent for a team with title aspirations.

Related: Bulls open to trading Noah, Gibson for wing player

Rose is remaining patient, however, as the 27-year-old knows his body better than anyone.

"But it's all about getting a solid season under my belt, playing hard in the playoffs, whenever we get there, and along the way just being smart and really taking care of my body and pushing my teammates to be better," he said.

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