BOSTON -- From the moment Derrick Rose set foot back onto a competitive basketball floor this summer, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has maintained that Rose's recovery from two different knee injuries was deeper than just a physical rehabilitation. In the veteran coach's mind, it was a three-pronged process.

"There's always a physical part, there's a mental part, there's an emotional part," Thibodeau said. "And we knew there would be some bumps in the road. And when you've been off as long as he's been out, the sprained ankles, the tight hamstrings, that's going to happen. That's expected. And he's got to work through that and he is."

But as Thibodeau and the Bulls continue to try and figure out the right path to take with Rose -- pushing a little harder or pulling back a little more -- the former MVP remains as outwardly confident as ever in his game. Even if his recent play doesn't suggest that confidence has translated to the floor.

When asked if he was having more problems with the physical or the emotional part of his return, Rose thought about it for a second and then responded.

"I wouldn't say it's neither of them," he said. "It's just that I had little injuries that's holding me back a little bit. If I didn't have them injuries who knows where I'd be right now? So [I'm] trying to have a positive mind no matter what I go through and just know that it could always be worse."

While Rose doesn't seem concerned, the numbers show that he isn't playing the same kind of aggressive game that he has in years past. According to ESPN Stats & Info, 39.5 percent of Rose's shot attempts are coming in the paint this season, compared to 47.9 percent in 2010-11 and 52.7 in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign. Also, while it's a small sample size, Rose averaged 7.1 drives a game during his 10-game stint last season before tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee. This season, he is averaging just 5.4 drives a game, which is 45th in the league, according to NBA.com.

The differences in Rose's game are subtle, but noticeable to those who have followed him for years. He doesn't look as confident on the floor, and as Thibodeau pointed out earlier in the week, he doesn't look as comfortable with the ball in his hands because he hasn't had time to shake the rust off of his game yet. That uncertainty is one of the biggest reasons teammates continue to be outspoken in support of Rose. They know how hard he has worked to get back to this point and understand they can't get to where they want to go without him playing at a high level.

"A hamstring is nothing to play with because that can lead to other things," Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler said. "I think he's very smart and doing the right thing -- we need him long term, not short term. Definitely long term. So he's right for what he's doing."

It's that positive mindset inside the locker room that Thibodeau seems intent of focusing on, just days after openly pushing Rose, and by proxy the Bulls' training staff, to find a way to keep the 26-year-old on the floor. Thibodeau knows that in order for Rose to build up his emotional confidence he must push through any second thoughts he has about being back on the floor.

"The only way you can build that [emotional confidence] up, he's got to increase the work," Thibodeau said. "When that happens he's going to be more comfortable out there. I've watched the [Denver] game a couple times now, he did some really good things in that game, even though [his time was] short. It got us off -- when he's on the floor the game's different for everybody. And as he strings games together and he plays more, his timing is going to come around, the rust is going to come off, and his conditioning will improve. So that's the way we're going to approach it. Obviously, if he's injured we don't want him to play. We'll sit him down if we have to. But if he's healthy, and he feels like he can go, we want him to go."

That's the balancing act that Thibodeau must figure out with Rose these days. Is he healthy or is he hurting? And if he is healthy, is he feeling comfortable enough in his body and in his game to play the way he wants to on the court?

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens admittedly hasn't paid close attention to all the drama surrounding Rose's return, but he can understand where the point guard is coming from.

"I’m paying attention to his availability against us," Stevens said. "And certainly, I think that it’s early in the season and I think that there are a lot of things that you have to get through to be ready to play back at the level you once were, especially if you’re an MVP-candidate level. It’s not only physical, it’s mental, it’s emotional, it’s seeing where your opportunities are. It’s getting by those scary moments that happen where you don’t get hurt, all kinds of things. I don’t really pay attention to what’s being said about him or about anybody else. I just know that it’s a process."

While Rose has yet to find consistency in games, he has been very consistent in maintaining that he will be the same player he once was. He is listening to himself, and how he's feeling, more than at any other point in his career.

"Just knowing who I am as a player, knowing myself. There's no rush," Rose said. "I put more pressure on myself than anybody. So I'm not worried about that. I've been doing that my whole life. So control what I can control with my workouts and the way I'm eating and all my habits that's going to take me to becoming a better player and continue to try and get better for a leader of this team. And get better individually by going hard in my workouts and staying consistent with my workouts."

Rose also must stay consistent with dealing with the criticism that continues to come his way. He said his friends and family take it harder than he does, but teammates and coaches have acknowledged that the constant frustration he has to deal with from fans has to be taking some kind of mental toll.

That's another part of the reason Thibodeau has changed his aggressive tune in recent days in regard to Rose's status. After pushing harder to get Rose on the floor, Thibodeau has softened his stance, saying before Friday's game that he believes that criticism toward Rose has been "unfair."

"It's really not that important," Thibodeau said. "And I've told him this. Whether it's praise or criticism it's all the same. It's really what he thinks. Only he knows whether he's putting everything he has into each and every day. And once you've done that you've done all that you can do. So he should feel good about it. I've told him this many times, if he's injured I don't want him out there and if he's healthy I want him to go. So hopefully we're moving forward."