Rose, Bulls get to work
The draft-night buzz remains strong, but Bulls fans should remember that point guard Derrick Rose won't just step on the gas and turn his new teammates into fastbreak machines overnight.
Evidence was on display Friday at the Berto Center as the Bulls prepared for next week's Orlando summer league.
During a scrimmage, a team of Rose, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, Aaron Gray and Demetris Nichols lost a mini-game to a squad featuring P.J. Cousinard, Marcel Jones, Keith Langford, Chris Charles and Rashaun Freeman.
Sure, the game was only a few possessions long. But the opponents weren't exactly household names, either.
"I wouldn't say everybody's in their best shape, but we're not used to playing with each other yet," Rose said with a smile. "We have two-a-days (today), so I think we'll play a lot better."
The Independence Day session lasted nearly three hours, and many of the players seemed gassed by the time it was over. But reporters were let in before it ended and given a glimpse of the Bulls' new leadership at work.
First-time coach Vinny Del Negro stalked the floor without saying a whole lot. He did stop practice to tell everyone to not be in such a hurry and engaged Thomas in a sideline conversation.
New assistants Del Harris, Bernie Bickerstaff and Bob Ociepka didn't say much either.
Bickerstaff and returnee Pete Myers followed the action on the floor, while Harris stayed on the sideline and gave occasional advice to players.
Former assistant coach Ron Adams, who will switch to a scouting role, sat and watched from the corner.
The gym seemed quieter than in the Scott Skiles and Jim Boylan eras, but that could always change by the time training camp arrives in October.
"Everybody has a voice, but it's my voice overall," Del Negro said of working with his newly hired coaching staff. "I'm very fortunate to have a very experienced staff. They all make suggestions and I filter through things and I put the package together.
"Obviously, my philosophies and concepts are what we go with. They're there just to kind of support me and talk some things through."
Practice will continue through Sunday, then the Bulls will play the first of five games in Orlando on Monday afternoon against a Miami squad that should include No. 2 pick Michael Beasley.
"It's going to be very important just to know coach Del Negro's style of play and how he wants us to play," Noah said. "We kind of get a head start. The more basketball you can get, the better, especially for young guys like us."
Two other veteran Bulls will play on the summer squad. Second-year guard JamesOn Curry finally has recovered from a thumb injury and looked good in the scrimmages. Power forward Cedric Simmons also is on hand.
Interestingly, the best pass thrown by someone on the Bulls' first unit was a soft lob from Thomas that resulted in a Noah dunk. Later, Rose got into the lane and knocked down a pull-up jumper.
"(Rose) is definitely a playmaker and he's very fast with the ball," Noah said. "It's a blessing to have a guy like that on your team. Very humble, a great guy off the court as well and somebody who wants to learn and get better."