Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be excited as he described the progress that Derrick Rose has made, saying that the superstar point guard's speed and explosiveness have come back to the point to where he's comfortable and confident (Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago): 

"I worked him out about a week ago...Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence.(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."

Here are more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight: 

• Heat forward Chris Bosh downplayed the idea that he's bothered by talk about him being the most expendable of Miami's "Big Three," also mentioning that he wouldn't want to be the lead player on a team with a lesser situation (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports). 
• Though Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy once doubled as a player-coach, don't expect Nets coach Jason Kidd to follow suit, as he told reporters that he has no intention of ever playing another minute (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Twitter). 
• Patrick Ewing, recently hired as an associate head coach for the Bobcats, thinks that it'll be a tough challenge for Kidd to make the transition from being an NBA player directly into becoming a head coach (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York). 
• Former Knicks and Nets forward Shawne Williams looked good during a workout today and will audition for several NBA teams soon, tweets Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy. 
• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that while the presence of Dion Waiters on the Cavaliers may compound the team's interest in drafting Ben McLemore, the former Syracuse standout could thrive in a reserve role as a primary ball handler in the second unit. 
• Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com reviews today's draft workout hosted by the Pacers, which included Deshaun Thomas, Will Clyburn, Alex Oriakhi, James Southerland, and Troy Daniels. C.J. Leslie was present, but did not participate in the workout. 

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com follows up on several reports we've heard about Doc Rivers this week, confirming that Rivers wouldn't be interested in sticking around if the Celtics decide to rebuild. GM Danny Ainge believes the team can avoid a full-fledged rebuild, but it remains to be seen what will happen with Paul Pierce, whose contract is only partially guaranteed for now, and Kevin Garnett, who is believed to be considering retirement. As Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld notes (via Twitter), if Rivers steps down as the Celtics' coach, it will be a pretty good indication that Pierce's and Garnett's days in Boston are numbered.

Let's round up a few more odds and ends from around the NBA....

• If Rivers does decide to part ways with the Celtics, it's unlikely that the team would allow him to coach elsewhere without receiving significant compensation, tweets Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.
• Chris Bosh's Miami Beach home may be on the market, but Bosh doesn't have any desire to hit the open market himself, telling Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he'd like to spend the rest of his career with the Heat.
• Speaking to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Metta World Peace seems to hint that he'd like to work out a new deal that would assure he remains with the Lakers. "I came here at a discount five years ago and I did that because I just want to win," World Peace said. "I thought my last contract was fair. I probably could have got more somewhere else, but I thought it was fair. Right now, the main thing with the Lakers whenever we cross that path is that (the offer) is just fair."
• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld examines the Spurs and Heat players in the Finals who will be hitting free agency next month.
• Addressing a report that suggested he and Monta Ellis nearly came to blows in the locker room after a Bucks playoff loss to the Heat, Larry Sanders says it was "just personalities clashing" and that he'd have no problem playing with Ellis next season and beyond (Twitter link via Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times).
• Although the focus will be on their pursuit of a star, the Mavericks should also be looking to add quality depth to the roster this summer, writes Bryan Gutierrez for ESPNDallas.com.

Last month, we heard that Mike D'Antoni and Nate McMillan wouldn't be returning to Team USA for the 2016 Olympics as assistant coaches. Today, Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press reveals (via Twitter) that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and Pelicans coach Monty Williams will be the new additions to Mike Krzyzewski's staff. Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:

• Timberwolves president Flip Saunders tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that every indication points to Rick Adelman returning as the team's head coach next season. Saunders also addresses Nikola Pekovic's free agency ("We plan on signing him") and Andrei Kirilenko's player option ("We don't have a gut feel [what he'll decide]") within the piece.
• Celtics head coach Doc Rivers has yet to officially state whether he'll return to Boston's bench next season, telling Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he'd address his future soon.
• In his weekend notes column for the Boston Globe, Washburn speculated that the Bobcats could be interested in trying to trade for Chris Bosh this summer, but Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer doesn't see Bosh as a fit for Charlotte.
• Asked about a potential Luol Deng trade, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that he has heard the Bulls don't intend to change their core significantly this summer. With Deng and others coming off the books in the summer of 2014, the roster figures to see more turnover a year from now.
• CSKA Moscow assistant Quin Snyder has officially left the team to return stateside, the club announced today (English link via Sportando). Last week, ESPN.com's Marc Stein named Snyder as a potential under-the-radar candidate for the Nuggets' head coaching job, but I think it's probably more likely that Snyder ends up as an NBA assistant somewhere.
• Last June, Mike Miller's injury problems had him contemplating the possibility of retirement, but he's certainly feeling better a year later. Miller tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that he feels like he has four or five seasons left in him.
• Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today attempts to determine why there have been so many head coaching changes in the NBA this offseason, while TNT's David Aldridge tackles the same topic in his own column at NBA.com. Aldridge also examines new Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer and asks Danny Granger about being the subject of frequent trade rumors.

Heat president Pat Riley held court with the media today for the first time since July, and offered insight on how the 66-win Heat were built, as well as a few hints about his plan to keep the defending champs together. Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com all provide detail. We'll round it up here:

• Riley suggested the team may need a new, high-dollar local television contract to absorb the tax hit necessary to keep LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together beyond 2014, when they can all opt out and become free agents. A report last summer suggested the team was in talks with Fox Sports about a deal that would pay them $80MM-$100MM per season, but both the team and Fox denied it. 
• Riley thinks keeping the team together is "doable" and said the front office has already begun to craft its plan for doing so, but said it's ultimately up to Micky Arison to decide how much he wants to shell out.
• Coach Erik Spoelstra was the driving force behind the team's midseason acquisition of Chris Andersen. "If I got another text from (Spoelstra) about getting Chris Andersen, I was going to put my hands around his neck," Riley quipped.
• Riley declined comment on Spoelstra's contract, which runs out after next season.
• The team believes Wade can handle point guard duties in case Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole goes down, and that's why they didn't seek more depth at the position this season.
• It doesn't seem as though the Heat will fully embrace analytics anytime soon, as Riley said proponents of advance metrics "make me squeamy a little bit," Haberstroh tweets.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a new mailbag column covering a variety of Heat-related topics. Here are the highlights:

• James Jones and Mike Miller would be the most logical trade candidates on the Heat's roster, although Jones has repeatedly said he only wants to play in Miami, and Miller's contract would prevent the Heat from getting anything of value in return.
• Winderman doesn't see Luis Scola as a viable option for the Heat, given the restrictions on trading him due to the amnesty clause, and the fact that he would have to take a buyout with the Suns in order to sign.
• Winderman isn't buying the recent talk that the Heat should trade Chris Bosh, arguing that he makes them better and they wouldn't be able to get equal value on the trade market.

In his Weekend Dime, Marc Stein of ESPN.com runs down his picks for this year's All-Star reserves.  On Stein's ballot, the Nets get a representative in Houston, but it's not star point guard Deron Williams, who is barely shooting 40% from the floor.  Instead, it's center Brook Lopez who has given the Nets the kind of steady offense that Williams hasn't been able to.  Here's more from Stein's column..

• No matter how much TNT's Charles Barkley clammors for a major trade in Miami, the Heat just aren't looking for that sort of shake-up.   Sources familiar with the club say that they aren't prepared to part with Chris Bosh, not only out of fear of a major change, but because it would make things umcomfortable from a player-relations perspective to break up the star trio.
• Sources close to the situation tell Stein that the Mavericks are not among the teams that have expressed interest in Grizzlies' Rudy Gay.  The Mavs were previously mentioned as being among the clubs interested in the forward.  Meanwhile, we learned yesterday that the Bobcats are aggressively pursuing him.
• The "Bank of Cuban" may be reopening its doors in Dallas, but the Mavericks still want to preserve their wiggle room this offseason.  That's why even though the Mavs can offer cap relief to teams at the trade deadline, Stein doesn't expect them to take on significant contracts.  Instead, they're more likely to trade Vince Carter to a contender that could use an extra shooter, or move Brandan Wright to a team in need of another big man.  That could yield them some picks or perhaps allow them to shed even more salary.
• While the Hawks could move Josh Smith for an impact player, Stein is skeptical that they would want to sacrifice their cap space this summer.

An early roundup of links from around the Southeast Division on Christmas Eve:

• Israel Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes that Chris Bosh has proven skeptics wrong after facing criticism when he teamed with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami in 2010.
• David Aldridge of NBA.com writes that several Wizards players are frustrated with the team's struggles this season and are questioning whether the team has a direction.
• The South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman wonders whether the Heat will regret letting Jarvis Varnado sign with the Celtics if he has more success than Miami's Dexter Pittman.
• Winderman has the same question about Wizards signee Garrett Temple, whom the Heat Let go in favor of Terrel Harris.
• Shelvin Mack was surprised the Wizards were the team to call him up from the D-League, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

• Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel says that this could be Dexter Pittman's last year to prove himself as a keeper for the Heat. 
• In addition to news that Chauncey Billups has been increasing his practice time, it has also been noted that Clippers guard Chris Paul is reportedly close to returning from a thumb injury (Janis Carr of the OC Register writes). 
• In this article from Lakers.com, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, and coach Mike Brown offered their thoughts on the impact that Steve Nash has brought to the Lakers locker room. 
• Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel discusses Chris Bosh's role as Miami's third option as coach Erik Spoelstra looks to utilize more post-up opportunities for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. 
• Doug Smith of TheStar.com writes that Raptors coach Dwane Casey is yet to decide between Aaron Gray and Jonas Valanciunas for the team's starting center position. Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld provided a comprehensive break down of the competition for key rotation spots in Toronto's camp.  
• Wizards owner Ted Leonsis held an interview with reporters on Thursday to speak about topics including John Wall, building team chemistry, the dramatic roster changes from this summer, and the overall growth of the team (according to Michael Lee of  the Washington Post).
• Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines the difficult balance that coaches face in the D-League between winning and player development. 

Anthony Tolliver has been working out with several Timberwolves players, namely Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) looks at it as a sign that Tolliver "badly" wants to remain in Minnesota next year. In another tweet, Zgoda caught Nikola Pekovic's thoughts regarding Ricky Rubio, saying that while the Spanish point guard looks good and hopes to be running again next week, he is still aiming for a return in December. We've had quite a bit of updates tonight, so be sure to check out the newest tidbits from around the league here..

• Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that Trail Blazers guard Elliot Williams is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a ruptured achilles tendon. 
• Justin Verrier of ESPN talks about Chris Bosh's willingness to continue playing center after contributing to a successful title run at that position with the Heat.
• Free agent Maurice Evans remains confident in the leadership ability he can bring to a team, says Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Although a source suggested that the Wizards offered him a position in their front office, Evans says that he believes he still has value as a player. 
• ESPN's Chris Broussard writes that Hakeem Olajuwon is slated to visit with the Knicks for several days next week to continue working out with Amare Stoudemire in addition to helping Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Marcus Camby. On another matter, Tracy McGrady's health looked "good" during his workout with the team (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets).  
• According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, Dwight Howard's rehab is going well, although he won't be ready for the start of training camp or the start of pre-season. Earlier, Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register reported (via Twitter) that the Lakers were expected to make an announcement today regarding an update of Howard's recovery from back surgery.

• Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy says that he hasn't been experiencing any setbacks as he starts increasing the intensity of his workouts before training camp (NBA.com via the Associated Press). His teammate, Nikola Pekovic is said to have lost "seven or eight pounds" and is recovering well after undergoing a procedure in May to remove bone spurs in his ankle, writes Ray Richardson of TwinCities.com. 
• Jason Friedman of Rockets.com tweets that Jon Brockman suffered a right eye injury on Monday, according to an announcement by the Rockets today. While surgery is not required, there is currently no timetable for his return. 
• Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York (via Twitter) says that although Tracy McGrady's name has been linked to the Knicks, New York is still focused on adding a big man. He also mentions that Kenyon Martin, Louis Amundson, D.J. White, and Chris Andersen still remain unsigned. 
• Among the names that mostly appeared to be relevant during Brooklyn's pursuit of Dwight Howard was MarShon Brooks, who made a splash as a rookie on the Nets last season. Now ready to begin his sophomore campaign in Brooklyn, the 6'5'' guard out of Providence opened up about his experience in dealing with trade rumors as well as how he plans to adapt his scoring mentality in a rotation full of scorers (Roderick Boone of Newsday reports).
• According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, many people within NBA circles believe that the Heat's big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will eventually part ways after the 2014 season, listing Wade's age, injury history, and with free agency looming for LeBron that summer as some significant factors (Sulia link).
• Julie Copeland of the Santa Cruz Sentinel says that the Santa Cruz City Council has unanimously approved building permits for the Warriors facility, and that a funding vote is pending (Twitter link). 
• Jim Paschke of Bucks.com tweets that Scott Williams has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL.

According to a tweet from Spurs guard Danny Green, James Anderson may have reached an agreement with the Hawks. Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News says the possible signing would make sense, being that current Atlanta GM Danny Ferry worked in San Antonio last season, where Anderson played. 

On this Friday night, here's a look around at some other NBA related news circulating around the league.

• When asked who he felt was the favorite heading into next season, Heat forward Chris Boshdeclared the Lakers to be the NBA's best team, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "The Lakers, I think, right now, I mean on paper, they probably have the best team in the West and probably the league right now," he said. "On paper. I'm saying on paper. But it's a lot, a lot, it's a long season. And the best team always isn't the one who starts out the season as the best team."
• ESPNLA.com's Brian Kamenetzky wonders what the Lakers should reasonably expect from Kobe Bryant this year. The future Hall of Famer turned 34 earlier this week. 
• Hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram takes a look at five veterans who he believes need to step up this season. Four of them are centers. 
• Earlier today it was announced that Eduardo Najera was officially retiring as a player to become the head coach in the D-League. ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan discusses how Najera could open up the league's relationship with Mexico. 
• Steve Aschburner of NBA.com looks at the Timberwolves heading into next season.