Hinrich, Deng named captains
Before the Bulls elected team captains Wednesday, coach Scott Skiles asked which players were interested in running for the office.
Ben Wallace, a sure winner, kept his hand down. So the Bulls will have just two captains this year -- Kirk Hinrich and 22-year-old Luol Deng. Hinrich was elected for the fourth time, while Deng is new to the job.
"It's their time," Wallace said. "They're on the way in. I'm on the way out. I haven't got that much time left. Let these guys step up and fill those shoes."
Team captain in the NBA is largely a ceremonial position. Besides going out to meet with the referees before a game, there aren't many required duties.
"The captain goes out on the floor and leads the team," Wallace said. "Even in tough situations, he shows that there's no kinks in his armor, that he's going to continue to fight for his team until the end."
Deng's definition of a captain wasn't much different.
"You've got to be a leader," the fourth-year forward said. "In a lot of ways in the past, you try to lead by example. I think now as a leader, you've got to help a lot of guys out. A lot of guys are going to look up to you. On bad days, you've got to be the one to lift up everybody."
Deng acknowledged that he will continue to take advice from Wallace, Adrian Griffin and Joe Smith, the Bulls' most experienced players.
Gardner will stay: A few minutes after wrapping up Wednesday's practice, coach Scott Skiles pulled aside Thomas Gardner to tell him he will stay on the Bulls roster. The 6-foot-5 guard could be gone next week or stay the whole season, but for now he's officially an NBA player.
"The first person to call is my mom (Sharon Martin)," Gardner said. "She's been there since third grade in basketball.
"I can count on one hand how many games my mom missed from elementary to college. They live in Oregon and I went to Missouri. She sacrificed having a job to come to Missouri and watch me play. I think she deserves to hear it first."
Gardner left Missouri a year ago, was not drafted and played last season in Belgium. He averaged 7.6 points and shot 44 percent from 3-point range in the preseason.
"(He has) good size, great athlete, he's proven he can make the 3, and he can defend 1-on-1," Skiles said. "There's a lot there to like."
Gardner admitted it was his foot that Ben Gordon stepped on during an Oct. 8 practice when Gordon sprained his left ankle. Gardner ended up starting four games while Gordon was hurt.
"It's funny because after that I felt kind of bad," Gardner said. "The day before the first game, the starting shooting guard steps on my foot and then I get to start in his position. It gave me an opportunity."
Preseason almost over: The Bulls will try to treat tonight's preseason finale against Milwaukee as a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Luol Deng, who missed two games with a bruised right wrist, is expected to play, so the Bulls will have all their regulars available for the first time.
Coach Scott Skiles is expected to decide tonight whether rookie Aaron Gray will be in the starting lineup for Wednesday's opener at New Jersey or give way to Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah or Joe Smith.
Bull horns: Ben Gordon passed out product at the Deerfield Dunkin' Donuts following Wednesday's practice. … Adrian Griffin, out all month with a sore back, had his first practice contact Wednesday but sat out the full-court scrimmage. … The Bulls were averaging 23.4 turnovers during the preseason, then cut that down to 15 in Tuesday's loss at Dallas.