After sitting out Wednesday's home game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Derrick Rose participated in Thursday's practice and is on track to play Friday versus the Portland Trail Blazers, according to head coach/president Tom Thibodeau.

Rose was dealing with left knee soreness, so the Timberwolves decided to play it safe and rest the former league MVP on Wednesday. Minnesota defeated the Pelicans for its second-straight win.

Derrick Rose, 30, has undergone two knee procedures on his left knee and been playing a lot of minutes lately, so it’s understandable that he was experiencing some soreness.

In 13 games this season, Rose is averaging 19.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 48.8 percent from beyond the arc and 82.7 percent from the free-throw line. Minnesota is a plus-3.3 when Derrick Rose is on the floor and a minus-17.0 when he’s not, per NBA.com. 

Rose has started five games this season. It's unclear if he will remain a starter or come off the bench now that Robert Covington is on the team. The Timberwolves started Jeff Teague, Andrew Wiggins, Covington, Taj Gibson and Karl-Anthony Towns on Wednesday.

Rose is averaging 29.2 points as a starter and 12.9 points as a reserve. The Chicago native scored a career-high 50 points against the Utah Jazz. The Timberwolves are 6-9 on the season.