Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose thinks there's a possibility he might play at some point against the Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

"Still in the air. I might have a chance," Rose said Monday morning during a Bulls shootaround.

Chicago plays the Miami Heat on Monday for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Bulls are already shorthanded due to injuries. Rose and forward Luol Deng, who received a spinal tap, are ruled out for Game 1. Kirk Hinrich is a gametime decision with a calf injury; Joakim Noah will play against Miami, but he is still dealing with pain from plantar fasciitis. 

Rose's return would be a significant boost to the Bulls, but it's unknown how effective the three-time NBA All-Star would be. Rose hasn't played a game since going down last May in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs.

Rose said the nagging issue keeping him sidelined is muscle memory.

"I was able to speak with Derrick off-camera a couple days ago, and he's telling me how badly he does want to be out there, but he says that he just doesn't have the muscle memory back, is the way he put it," Rachel Nichols of TNT reported last week (via ESPN Chicago). "The lack of muscle memory is affecting the way Rose's knee feels and the way he shoots, and that until his body can react without him thinking about it, he doesn't want to be on the court and unsure of himself."

Rose was medically cleared to play in March and has been practicing with the team for at least two months, but the lack of muscle memory is affecting his confidence.

Former Bulls guard and TNT analyst Steve Kerr told ESPN last Monday that if confidence is the only obstacle then Rose owes it to his teammates to play.

"I think Derrick owes it to his teammates at this stage," Kerr said.  "... If this is just about not being fully confident, you've got to go out there.  ... And if you're Derrick, you've been watching Noah and Hinrich play on one leg this whole series, at what point do you start to feel sort of self-conscious and guilty about what's unfolding?"

Rose's coach and teammates, however, continue to voice their support of Rose's decision to wait until he is completely healthy and confident. 

"He's not quite there, and we made that clear to him from the beginning," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said on Wednesday.  "We're going to support him in every way possible. I would never question him. Ever."

Chicago plays Miami and 2013 NBA MVP LeBron James in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.