Bulls looking to face Nets at full strength
The Bulls may be playing tonight's game at New Jersey under very unusual circumstances, and it has nothing to do with Nets point guard Jason Kidd finally catching a flight to Dallas on Tuesday.
There is a chance the Bulls actually could be at full strength. Ben Gordon is ready to go after missing 10 of the previous 12 games with a sprained right wrist.
Luol Deng, out 16 of the last 21 games with left Achilles' tendinitis, still is a question mark, but he did participate in about half of Tuesday's practice.
"There was no pain or anything like that," coach Jim Boylan said at the Berto Center. "It was just precautionary to ease him in as best we can. We've got our fingers crossed and hopefully he will be able to play."
The Bulls have been at full strength just once in the last 21 games. The bad news is the result of that lone contest was a 104-90 loss in Memphis on Jan. 21. Gordon injured his wrist early in that game and Deng was struggling with his sore Achilles, so maybe full strength isn't quite accurate.
But the Bulls do feel slightly encouraged to still be in the Eastern Conference playoff race even while playing without their top two scorers in 10 of the last 12 games.
As of Tuesday morning, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Atlanta were tied for seventh place in the East, with the Bulls 1½ games back.
"Our guys are about one thing and that's trying to win, get in the playoffs and then take it from there," Boylan said. "I don't think anyone's thinking anything other than having a successful second half."
Added Gordon: "Since I've been here, I've played in the postseason every year. You never know what can happen in the playoffs. We definitely have our minds set on getting there."
Gordon hasn't given much thought to the impending trade deadline, which strikes Thursday at 2 p.m., Central time. There has been talk that the Bulls are checking the trade market for Gordon, though league sources suggested the Bulls are not close to making any moves prior to the deadline.
"I'm not expecting anything to happen," Gordon said.
The fourth-year shooting guard also addressed rumors that he has considered signing the one-year qualifying offer this summer, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2009.
Both Gordon and Deng will be restricted free agents this year, with the Bulls able to match any offer from another team.
"I've never said that," Gordon said about the qualifying offer. "It is an option. Everybody knows that. But I definitely didn't go out of my way and say something to the organization trying to threaten them. That wasn't true. But it's an option. Luol has that option. Most guys in my position have that option. It's just a part of the league."
Gordon also was asked about the possibility of staying in a sixth-man role indefinitely. While the Bulls were short-handed, 6-foot-7 Thabo Sefolosha started the past 17 games and performed well.
It's easy to imagine the Bulls' backcourt of the future featuring Kirk Hinrich and Sefolosha in the starting lineup, with Gordon bringing his offensive punch off the bench. Gordon returned to a reserve role when Boylan took over as head coach on Dec. 29.
"As a competitive player and the things I do on the court, I'm not going to lie and say it didn't bother me early on when coach took me out of the lineup," Gordon said. "But the most important thing, I've always been a guy who's won on every level and every team I've been on, guys have had to make sacrifices.
"That's what I've had to do since I've been here. If we win, there's no problem with it. I'm just going to go out there and play my game and that's really it."