Dunleavy shows progress as he returns to Bulls practice
While Joakim Noah watched Bulls practice Tuesday for the first time since having season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, Mike Dunleavy was on the opposite track.
Dunleavy completed a full practice Tuesday for the first time this season and coach Fred Hoiberg is hoping the veteran forward might be ready for game action in a week or two. Dunleavy has been out all season after having back surgery just before training camp.
“Today was the first time he really got up and down with our guys,” Hoiberg said. “(Wednesday), he'll come in with some of the guys who aren't playing a lot of minutes right now and get another opportunity, get two practices in L.A., then we'll make a determination from there.
“He was good. He looked good out there. There's going to be some rust, there's no doubt about that. We hope to get him back sometime soon.”
Dunleavy spoke to reporters at the Monday shootaround.
“The back feels great. It's mostly conditioning, rhythm, timing,” he said. “I haven't played a game since May. There's kind of a readjustment and getting back in the swing of things. But overall I feel really good. … Looking forward to being out there and being with the guys and contributing.”
Rose still sore:
Derrick Rose left Monday's loss to Miami at halftime because of a sore hamstring and back. Coach Fred Hoiberg said Tuesday the back issue cleared up and the hamstring was still a concern.
“He's sore this morning,” Hoiberg said at the Advocate Center. “He did a little bit of the noncontact stuff. Once we started scrimmaging, getting up and down, he sat out that portion of practice.
“We'll get him in here moving around tomorrow and then obviously the (Thursday) shootaround and warm-up before the game (against the Los Angeles Lakers) and see what happens. You've got to be careful when you're dealing with the hamstring.”
E'Twaun Moore, who missed Monday's game with a hamstring strain, did some scrimmaging Tuesday, and is still sore. Hoiberg is hoping Moore can play some on Thursday against the Lakers.
Kirk Hinrich missed his fifth game Monday with a left quad contusion and is not yet ready for full activity. When Rose went down on Monday, it left Aaron Brooks as the Bulls' only healthy point guard.
Bulls get critical:
Coach Fred Hoiberg was happy to see his players get angry during the loss to Miami.
“Our guys were talking at halftime and getting on each other, which is great. You have to have that,” he said. “You've got to take it constructively. It's not personal, these attacks. When you can talk to each other, when you miss an assignment on the floor, you've got to be able to work that out, teammate to teammate.
“Pau (Gasol) was very vocal, especially at halftime and it was good to see. We had a really good practice today. Now it has to carry over.”
One of Hoiberg's concerns is how the Bulls lose focus and intensity when things start to go wrong.
“Last night I saw heads hanging when (Miami) went on its run,” he said. “That's what we've got to get better at. We're a really good basketball team when things are going well. It's finding that consistency when we hit that rough patch and that's what great teams do.”