Bulls’ Joakim Noah won’t play Saturday
On his 25th birthday, Derrick Rose attended practice, was serenaded by the Bulls rookies (“They were terrible”), flew to Indianapolis and was planning to eat dinner with his teammates before retreating to the hotel room.
“I lead a boring life,” Rose deadpanned.
Saturday, he’ll play in an NBA basketball game for the first time since April 28, 2012, when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a first-round playoff contest at the United Center.
Anticipation will be overflowing at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the preseason opener between the Bulls and Indiana Pacers (6 p.m., WGN). For his part, Rose exhibited his usual low-key confidence Friday at the Berto Center.
“I’ve prepared myself for this,” he said. “This is the biggest stage I’ll probably play on for my whole career. You think I’m going to come out here and be unprepared for that? I have to be prepared, just knowing that I want to leave a great legacy.”
The Bulls will not field their full starting lineup in this game. Center Joakim Noah has missed three days of practice with a groin strain and will not play. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Noah slipped during practice a few days ago and the team wants to make sure the injury is completely healed before he continues.
“Probably won’t play the first couple preseason games,” Noah said. “It’s unfortunate. I want to be out there real bad, but we’re going to be smart. I don’t want it to keep lingering for a long time. So I’m doing what I can and I’ll be back in no time.”
Nazr Mohammed or Taj Gibson will likely start in Noah’s place, but Thibodeau didn’t reveal his choice. Kirk Hinrich returned to practice Friday after two days off with back spasms. He expects to play.
Here’s something else to watch for: Noah said the Bulls are using a new offense this season.
“It’s a read and react offense. Thibs changed it up a little bit,” Noah said. “Right now it’s all about getting our offense to click a little bit better. We’re working on it every day I think once we get better at it, it could be scary.”
Another change for Noah is he’s no longer wearing his rooster shoes after splitting with French manufacturer Le Coq Sportif. He never blamed the shoes for his plantar fasciitis problems, but this decision may speak for itself. Noah wore Adidas shoes Friday.
Thibodeau’s take on the preseason opener is it’s not all about Rose, but how well Rose blends with his teammates. The Bulls get a chance to test themselves against a key Eastern Conference rival and will likely use all 15 healthy players.
“Nobody’s going to take it easy on Derrick because he’s coming back,” Thibodeau said. “I don’t know how long he’ll be able to play. We’ll see. Based on what he’s shown so far, he’s in great shape.
“As long as they’re keeping score, you want to win. You’d like to think that winning, work, performance matters.”
Realistically, all that matters Saturday is if Rose looks something like he did before the ACL tear — and that he doesn’t get hurt again.
The Bulls have all season to work on team chemistry.
“If you asked everyone, I think I look the same,” Rose said. “If anything, my confidence changed and I’m really knocking down my outside shot right now. Right now, I feel like I’m prepared and I feel like I haven’t missed a step.”
mmcgraw@dailyherald.com