McDermott's return to Bulls still uncertain
Bulls forward Doug McDermott shot around before Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers and told a television reporter he feels good, but it's still uncertain when he'll be cleared to return from a concussion.
"He's going to see our team doctor tonight, then have a session with our physical therapist tomorrow," coach Fred Hoiberg said before the game. "We'll see how he's doing.
McDermott has now missed seven games since hitting his head on the floor during the Nov. 12 game against Washington. McDermott also missed the Nov. 2 game at Boston with a concussion, so he had two head injuries within two weeks.
"Each case is individual," Hoiberg said. "The first one, it happened and he got back relatively quickly from that one. This one, he's had lingering symptoms. Until those are completely gone, he will not be cleared for contact.
"The good thing is he feels great. In his mind, he feels ready to get back out there and be with his teammates again, but you've got to be careful and make sure you pass all the steps before you're cleared for full activity. Hopefully that will happen soon."
Bulls follow the miss:
Heading into Wednesday's action, the Bulls led the NBA in offensive rebounds, averaging 13.9 per game. Coach Fred Hoiberg talked before facing the Lakers about how it happened.
"It starts with our two bigs. It starts with Taj (Gibson) and it starts with Robin (Lopez), two of the better rebounders in the league," Hoiberg said. "(Rajon) Rondo, even though sometimes we don't want him in there, he'll sneak in and get an offensive rebound. Jimmy (Butler) also does a good job picking and choosing when he needs to go to the glass."
Lopez ranks third in the league in offensive boards per game with 3.8, while Gibson is in the top 20. Butler had 29 in 16 games.
"Our guys have done a really good job of being physical, going out and making first contact, trying to get the physicality of the game where we want it," Hoiberg said. "It's great to have guys like Robin and Taj who are going to go in there and do the dirty work for your team."
Thibs-Knicks reunion:
The New York Knicks played at Minnesota on Wednesday, which led to some mushy moments at shootaround when Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose looked back on their days with coach Tom Thibodeau on the Bulls.
"At the end of the day, you have to be demanding because it's hard to win in this league," Noah said of his relationship with Thibodeau, according to The New York Post. "With Thibs, you definitely butt heads. But you don't realize what you have with him until he's not around.
"Thibs is great. I'm really happy for him. He cares about winning. Our run in Chicago, I'll never forget. Some of the best times in my life. I got a lot of love for Thibs."
Rose said Thibodeau spent a lot of time "cussing him out" with the Bulls, but offered no hard feelings.
"He's a winner at heart. He wants to win every game," Rose said. "That's the crazy thing about him. He's probably up nights driving himself crazy a bit (in Minnesota)."