Duhon sits and watches
HOUSTON -- When the Bulls added guard Larry Hughes in last week's three-team trade, general manager John Paxson said the team's newly crowded backcourt was a good problem to have.
It wasn't so good for point guard Chris Duhon, who was the only Bull not to play in Sunday's loss to the Rockets.
"It's unfortunate. I feel bad for Du," coach Jim Boylan said following the game. "I said that to our guys. There are just not enough minutes to go around. I don't want to play him just for a few minutes here and there."
At one point during trade negotiations last week, Duhon was going to be included to help ease the Bulls' glut of guards. In the final version, he stayed put. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so Duhon may not be with the team much longer, but anything is possible at this point.
"I didn't know how it was going to go," Duhon said. "I knew probably when the second quarter started, it wasn't going to be my night. But I understand. We're loaded, trying to get guys comfortable. I've just got to be ready if I do get a turn."
BG loses rhythm: Another byproduct of the logjam at guard was leading scorer Ben Gordon playing just 26 minutes against Houston, compared to an average of 35 minutes previously this season.
After scoring 37 points Friday against Denver, Gordon couldn't get going. He hit 2 of 11 shots for just 5 points against the Rockets, and his lone 3-point basket came late in the fourth quarter.
"We've got new guys in, so there really wasn't much chemistry out there," Gordon said. "Guys were just trying to get acclimated to our system. So it was different. It was a tough night to get a rhythm. It's going to affect everybody on the team."
Headbands stay banned: Headbands are all the rage in Cleveland, thanks in part to LeBron James, no doubt. But they are still forbidden on the Bulls.
Neither Drew Gooden nor Larry Hughes was given a "Ben Wallace exception," and both played bare-headed on Sunday.
Complaints regarding the headband situation could be heard in the locker room before the game, but only the players can say how much of a personal issue it really is.
"It's just part of the team rules," Gooden said. "That's how it is right now, so … so be it."
Beyond acknowledging that he discussed the issue with the new Bulls, Jim Boylan stuck to sarcastic answers on the subject.
"I think what you should probably do is call your fashion editor and have them call me," Boylan said.
Three of four debut: The Bulls put newcomer Cedric Simmons on the active roster Sunday. He played the final 2:11 and dropped in a dunk. Guard Shannon Brown was inactive, along with holdover Demetris Nichols.