Gordon learns from Hinrich
Ben Gordon watched the Bulls' first two preseason games from the sideline due to a sprained left ankle.
More specifically, he watched teammate Kirk Hinrich. Gordon said he's been trying to study and learn from Hinrich's defensive ability.
"He has perfect technique," Gordon said. "He anticipates. He has great awareness out there. You can never really catch Kirk off guard."
Ever since he joined the team in 2003, the Bulls coaching staff has felt Hinrich is one of the league's best defensive guards. There was finally some confirmation last year when Hinrich was voted second-team all-defense by NBA coaches.
Gordon has improved defensively over the years, but opponents often try to take advantage of him, since he's an undersized shooting guard at 6-feet-2.
"I'm just trying to watch (Hinrich) every day and see the things he does," Gordon said. "His technique is always right. Even if you beat Kirk, it's not because he had poor technique or poor footwork. The guy just made a tough shot.
"You look at Michael Redd or Ray Allen, all those guys need is a split second (to get a shot off). So you really have to be on all the time. That's something Kirk does really well. I've just got to take advantage of watching him."
Good look at Dirk: Nine seconds after Bulls rookie Joakim Noah entered Friday's preseason win over Dallas, he watched Dirk Nowitzki can a 21-foot jumper.
"He had the quickest release I've ever seen in my life," Noah said. "Welcome to the NBA, that's what it felt like. You can't get down when somebody like that hits shots. You've just got to contest it the best you can. He's the MVP."
Noah finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds against the Mavericks, but collected most of those numbers in the fourth quarter with subs on the floor.
Bulls coach Scott Skiles feels the only thing holding Noah back is the steep learning curve most every NBA rookie faces.
"He's a good basketball player. He's got nice versatility," Skiles said. "He really put the time in this summer once he got green-lighted on his shoulder. He was there constantly lifting, working. I saw his level of commitment to wanting to get better right away."
Bulls hit the nets: Through two preseason games, the Bulls are shooting 49.6 percent overall and 50 percent (11-for-22) from 3-point range.
Among the team's accurate shooters is Luol Deng, who has hit 11 of 16 shots from the floor, while Chris Duhon has knocked down 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point land.
Deng is the leading scorer at 14.0 points, followed by rookie center Aaron Gray at 12.0. Gray leads in rebounding at 8 per game.
Bull horns: The Bulls did not practice Saturday, marking their first day off since training camp began on Oct. 1. ... In an effort to get better accustomed to their home court, the Bulls held Friday's shootaround at the United Center. ... The Bulls' next preseason action is Tuesday against Washington at the United Center.