Dwyane Wade making progress in rehab from elbow fracture

NEW YORK -- Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade is "making progress" in his rehab of a fractured right elbow.

Wade, who was ruled out for the regular season after suffering the injury in a March 15 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, has started working out a little harder in recent days as he tries to make his way back to the floor.

"He's doing a lot," Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said after shootaround Tuesday. "As far as shooting, there's no restrictions right now getting out there. Still not doing much contact. But he is ramping up activity, doing more and more every day. The biggest thing right now is to keep his conditioning and keep his wind, and if he is able to come back at some point this season he's not skipping a beat there."

Wade politely declined comment after getting his workout in on Tuesday, but the Bulls seem optimistic about his potential return. Bulls All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler has no doubts that Wade won't need an adjustment period if and when he does return.

"That's what great players, Hall of Fame players, do," Butler said. "They come in, pick up right where they left off. I know he's going to do that. I'm constantly in his ear, he's constantly in mine, about what he sees, what I see. Because it's different when you're out there playing, and then whenever you're not playing and you're watching. So there's a lot of things that we could still be better at."

The Bulls have gone 6-3 since Wade's injury and come into Tuesday's game against the New York Knicksseventh in the Eastern Conference standings. For his part, Hoiberg still doesn't want to publicly commit to a potential Wade return date.

"We're not there yet," Hoiberg said. "It's just kind of a day by day thing with Dwyane right now. He is feeling better, but obviously there's a lot of work to do as far as getting the strength back in his arm. Making sure mentally, he's right. He still has a little bit of pain in that elbow, especially when he's done working out. But the important thing is he's making progress and hopefully he continues to take steps in the right direction and we'll get him back some point this season."

If Wade sits out the rest of the regular season as expected, he will have missed 25 games this season because of rest and various injuries. Still, Butler hopes his good friend can return soon.

"We definitely need that guy, as everybody knows," Butler said. "We want him to come back to where he's not protecting anything, he's hooping, he's playing 110 percent and doing what he's been doing."