Mirotic continues to impress

For the second day in a row, a Bulls player raved about the performance of rookie teammate Nikola Mirotic.

On Tuesday, Derrick Rose predicted the 6-foot-10 Mirotic will surprise people with his ability to put the ball on the floor. On Wednesday, it was Joakim Noah's turn.

"He's pretty good … he's really good. And he adds a different dimension to the game," Noah said. "He's a lot more than just a shooter. He's a great shooter, and he's done a lot of things that are pretty surprising. You don't think of stretch fours as guys that can block shots, run the floor, and he can. He's a heck of a player."

Last year in the EuroLeague, playing for Real Madrid, Mirotic averaged 12.4 points and shot 46 percent from 3-point range.

"He's pretty complete," Noah added. "I think he's definitely one of our secret weapons."

Mirotic moves in:

When he signed with the Bulls in July, Nikola Mirotic promised to improve his English quickly.

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's practice, Mirotic did an admirable job with the language when asked about his first days of training camp.

"It's faster," Mirotic said. "First, in Europe, we didn't practice like this. More hard, intense. For me it's different, but I learn every day. I do a lot of lifting, so I'm trying to prepare myself for the season."

Moving across the Atlantic was a challenge for Mirotic and his wife, Nina. The couple brought along their four-month-old son Alexsej.

"Yeah, it's tough," he said. "But we know this is good for us. I think it's a great moment for my career to be here because this is the best way I can grow as a player. So I'm fine, they're fine and that's it."

Mirotic was also asked what he's seen of the city in his first month as a resident.

"I'm living on Lake Shore Drive, so close to the lake, close to Navy Pier," he said. "Sometimes I take my wife and my baby."

Respect for Mr. Freeze:

Joakim Noah said on media day he thought the Bulls had no chance to sign Pau Gasol this summer. Noah went into more detail after Wednesday's practice.

"Because it's freezing out here," Noah said. "I think the last night he came here was that polar arctic thing going on, that polar vortex thing going on. It's brutal. When you're used to the beach every day, to pick the polar vortex, it says a lot."

Gasol visited with the Los Angeles Lakers last Jan. 20. The high temperature that day was actually 37 degrees, so not bad. The high was minus-1 on Jan. 6, though, so no one is going to argue with Noah's logic.