Big-time rebound
For those keeping score at home, the time span between Bulls coach Scott Skiles saying "you're a fool if you marry yourself to a rookie after two exhibition games" and placing rookie Aaron Gray in the starting lineup was eight days.
Skiles refused to reveal his lineup for tonight's preseason contest in Dallas following Monday's practice at the Berto Center, but he suggested Gray could remain a starter. Tyrus Thomas started the first four games at power forward.
"We liked what happened the other night at the beginning of the game," Skiles said. "We thought Ben Wallace and Aaron played well together."
Gray finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds in Saturday's win over Indiana. He's averaging 10.8 points and 5.8 boards during the preseason, vaulting him into contention for a starting job when the regular season opens Oct. 31 at New Jersey.
Skiles said his starting lineup for Thursday's preseason finale against Milwaukee most likely will be the same one he uses on opening night.
Gray may turn out to be one of the steals of the 2007 draft. Once projected as a middle to late first-round pick, the 7-footer from Pittsburgh stayed on the board until the 49th selection and was the last center chosen.
Ironically, the one time Gray did not make a strong impression for the Bulls was when he visited the Berto Center in June for a predraft workout. Eyewitnesses described Gray's workout as very average, though it's only a small part of the evaluation process.
"It might have been my toughest workout … I struggled," Gray said. "It was only two people (Gray and Wake Forest's Kyle Visser). I did so many workouts in a row and it was just tough."
Gray's Chicago stop was his fourth workout in four days, and he was so exhausted he has forgotten his travel itinerary from that week.
"I remember being so tired," he said. "My body was gone. I was coming from Dallas. Or was it San Antonio? I was down in Texas, so I had a Houston, Dallas, San Antonio swing.
"For as tired as I was and exhausted, I still fought my way through it. That's one of the main reasons I'm here in Chicago."
Gray played well for the Bulls' summer-league teams. During the preseason, he has been fundamentally sound and quick to pick up the system.
Another reason Skiles considered Gray for the starting lineup is because he has shown potential to be a low-post scorer.
"Do we want a couple of defensive players in the starting lineup?" Skiles asked. "Do we want a little more offense? Aaron has shown, and I think he will in the regular season, that he can score the ball. Do we want to use that to start a game a little bit? That's something we have to think about."
One negative to Gray's game is that he has fouled out twice in five preseason contests. Skiles thinks Gray is moving well, but the regular season will offer an even greater challenge to the rookie's defensive skills.
"During the regular season, you're going to see the quick guards come off pick-and-rolls and attack him," Skiles said. "The question is can he move his feet and stay in the game?"