Noah working out multiple times a day

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Joakim Noah is slowly but surely making his return to the floor a reality.

The Chicago Bulls center is working out several times a day, trying to get back into the proper condition to help his teammates as soon as possible, eyeing a return after the All-Star break, if not sooner.

Noah still has a small cast covering his thumb and the lower part of his right hand, but he is doing more non-contact drills by the day.

"He's doing more and more," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said before Saturday morning's shootaround. "He's doing more shooting now. He's been doing the dummy offense, the close-outs for a while, but now he's shooting jump shots and that sort of thing. Each day a little more. More conditioning, court drills, that sort of thing. He's right on schedule; he's doing well."

But Thibodeau still doesn't think Noah will be cleared for contact drills for at least another week.