Wade still trying to learn new tricks
After some impressive production in Saturday's preseason victory over Indiana, Dwyane Wade talked about how at 34 he doesn't want to rest on his reputation.
"One thing I try to do is I watched a lot of film on my two favorite shooting guards, Kobe (Bryant) and Michael (Jordan) and seeing how they extended their careers," he said. "That's what I was able to do last year in Miami, really take my game to that midpost area and be successful down there and still have my playmaking ability on top.
"My goal is to be around for as long as you can play the game and be effective, and I'm still trying to do that."
Chicago Bulls fans know Jordan was an all-time trendsetter in reinventing his game. After his baseball break, Jordan's specialty became the midrange, post-up, turnaround jumper.
"I'd love to walk away from the game when I am ready and not be pushed out," Wade said. "So you always have to evolve. I'm good at what I'm good at, but you also can always get better. The old saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks? You can. I'm an old dog around there, so I'm learning something new."
Wade produced 22 points and 8 assists in just 27 minutes of action in the Bulls' 121-105 victory at the United Center.
Canaan knows defense:
Even before posting an amazing plus-minus number Saturday, Bulls guard Isaiah Canaan was drawing praise from coach Fred Hoiberg.
"The guy that I feel has done a great job getting into the ball is Isaiah Canaan," Hoiberg said Friday. "He's been a great defender. He's got to continue to work off the ball, but he's been impressive getting into the ball and trying to disrupt things."
Canaan is a fourth-year guard from Murray State. After splitting time between Houston and Philadelphia, he signed with the Bulls as a free agent this summer.
He was thought of as a 3-point specialist, having averaged 6.3 attempts per game for the Sixers last season, but apparently he can do more. He had a plus-40 Saturday in just 16 minutes of playing time, which means the Bulls outscored the Pacers by 40 points when he played.
"I just try to pride myself on the defensive end and anything extra is a plus," Canaan said after the game. "We've got to get stops before we can get out and do what we do well, which is score in transition and shoot the 3 ball."
PF tryouts continue:
So far in preseason, the Bulls have started Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis at power forward.
Gibson is the Bulls' top scorer right now at 13.7 points per game, while shooting a tidy 71 percent from the field. But coach Fred Hoiberg isn't ready to name an opening-night starter.
"We'll just continue to evaluate," he said. "The good thing is we're throwing a lot of different guys in there with different lineups and it's a whole compilation of how this month goes. It's not just these seven (preseason) games, it's how the scrimmages go, it's how the practices go.
"Then we'll try to make the decision on opening night, and who knows if that's what we'll stick with all year."
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