advertisement

Many options for Thibodeau's Bulls at closing time

The Bulls will see a familiar face Saturday when center Omer Asik returns to town with his new team, the New Orleans Pelicans.

Remember during Asik's rookie season in 2010-11, coach Tom Thibodeau used Asik in his game-finishing lineup during the playoffs, along with Taj Gibson, while Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer usually stayed on the bench.

There could be similar surprises in store for this season. Based on the way the Bulls have played in recent games, there is plenty of in-house competition for playing time.

Point guard Aaron Brooks has made a strong case for joining the fourth-quarter lineup. Over the past five games, he has averaged 15.6 points and shot 48 percent from the field. He ranks ninth in the league in 3-point percentage at .447.

"Coach Thibs uses me however he wants to use me," Brooks said after Friday's practice at the Advocate Center. "I think with this team you have a lot of different pieces that work, and at any given time you can do something different.

"So I hope coach is just having fun with all of us and it continues to work."

Brooks isn't the only player threatening to shake up the rotation. Rookie Nikola Mirotic continues to shine, having knocked down 13 of his last 19 shots from 3-point range, going back to the Dec. 18 game against New York.

A closing lineup of Brooks, Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler as three primary scorers who can attack the basket, Mirotic as the 3-point threat, along with one big man could be an effective group.

Lately, Thibodeau has been keeping Mirotic on the floor during much of the fourth quarter before coming back with Pau Gasol for the last few minutes.

Gibson could become a factor in the fourth quarter. He's the team's fourth-leading scorer at 12.4 points and a great finisher around the basket.

Meanwhile, E'Twaun Moore seems on the verge of passing Tony Snell in the coach's confidence ratings.

The 6-foot-4 Moore, a fourth-year pro with a well-rounded game, has played 34 minutes over the last two games, while Kirk Hinrich sat out with a hamstring strain.

Thibodeau was asked if he appreciates having competitive battles for playing time.

"I like the fact they're playing as a team," he said. "We're asking everyone to sacrifice and put the team first, so we have quality depth.

"Some nights guys will play a little more than others, but they're all sharing and they're all going to have to sacrifice, and that's what's important for our team."

Hinrich has been on the floor during crunchtime for most of the season and has long been one of the team's best defenders.

But the Bulls have made a drastic shift to a high-scoring team. As of Friday morning, they ranked eighth in the league in points per game at 103.4.

Last season they were last in offense.

"As you wind down, it's situational," Thibodeau said of the closing lineup. "A lot of it is what's going on in the game: Do you have a lead? Are you trying to protect the lead? Do you need more scoring? Hopefully you have that answer on the bench.

"The big thing is everyone is sacrificing for the team. You have to put the team first. Whatever gives us our best chance of winning, that's what we're going to do."

Thibodeau has proved he's willing to shuffle the fourth-quarter lineup and leave high-priced players on the bench.

As it stands, a healthy Rose and Butler are the only guys certain to be on the floor in crunchtime. Noah, Gasol, Gibson, Mirotic, Hinrich, Brooks and Mike Dunleavy are all strong candidates for the other three spots.

"You have a pretty good idea of who you're going to finish with," Thibodeau said. "But that can change if guys are performing well.

"The big thing is it's not an individual thing. It's how the group is performing. We look at everything."

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.

Chicago native Davis set to make UC debut

Tonight's tip-off

New Orleans Pelicans at the United Center, 7 p.m.

TV: WGN

Radio: ESPN 1000-AM

Outlook: Chicago native Anthony Davis is on target to play against the Bulls at the United Center for the first time in his NBA career, but still needs to survive Friday's home game against San Antonio. Davis is a legit MVP candidate in his third pro season, averaging 24.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. Tyreke Evans (16.3 ppg), Jrue Holiday (15.4) and Ryan Anderson (15.1) give the Pelicans some additional scoring threats. The Bulls lost both games against New Orleans last season, including one in triple overtime at the UC on Dec. 2.

Next: Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 6 p.m. Monday

- Mike McGraw

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.