Skiles to Tyrus Thomas: I'm sorry
Bulls coach Scott Skiles offered an apology Wednesday.
It wasn't a blanket apology for the team's 2-8 start, though he did invite fans to criticize his performance as much as any of the players.
During the first few days of the Bulls' road trip, whenever Skiles was asked about the performance of an individual player, he usually responded by saying the team was playing so poorly, it was unfair to single out any individual.
Then Tuesday afternoon in Denver, Skiles singled out Tyrus Thomas, knocking the second-year forward for not running the floor hard. That's what Skiles' apologized for Wednesday following a brief workout and film session at the Berto Center.
"I was way too harsh," Skiles said. "That was a mistake on my part. It's hard when you say something and you're quoted accurately to back up and say 'I didn't mean it that way.' But that is honestly the case. I had a little something else going on, got distracted and I was way too harsh."
Thomas started the first six games of the season, then gave way to Andres Nocioni when the road trip began last Thursday in Phoenix. Then Thomas did not play at all in the second half of a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday or the first half a day later against the Lakers.
Thomas played 11 minutes without recording a point or rebound in Tuesday's 112-91 loss at Denver. He's averaging 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds on the season.
"Tyrus is still finding his game," Skiles said. "That's why I was upset with myself about the comments. He's a young guy finding his game. Size-wise, he's in between sizes, in between a three and a four. Unfortunately right now, we've got him out there down low, doing battle with huge people. So he's learning what he can and can't get away with down there.
"We're encouraging him offensively to have freedom. Last night, for instance, one of the (foul) calls I questioned. He got two quick ones. I felt I had to take him out of the game because Noc already had two and we were trying to guard the whole team foul trouble. So he's also had some circumstances that went against him."
Skiles' critique of Thomas on Tuesday centered mostly on running the floor hard to get more offensive rebound opportunities.
"We ask him to sprint the floor," Skiles said in Denver. "To my knowledge in his career he hasn't done it one time. Not one time.
"Watch when he gets in there. Is he jogging or is he sprinting the floor? So I have to look out not only for … 'Can somebody help me win a game tonight?' but balance that against trying to get him to be a high-level player.
"He's not going to be if he doesn't do that one thing. That's about all he has to do, change ends like a train. We have not been able to get him to do that."
Thomas was not available for comment Wednesday. Most of the players left the Berto Center quickly without speaking to the media.
The Bulls will take Thanksgiving off, practice on Friday, then tackle the second leg of the annual circus road trip in New York and Toronto this weekend.