First week of Bulls' camp has been taxing, talkative

First-year coach Vinny Del Negro has stuck to his original schedule during the opening week of training camp, which included five straight days of double sessions and no free time until Sunday, Oct. 12.

"It's one of those weeks where I'm not sure what day it is and it feels like it's still last Monday, because there's so much we have to do," he said. "It's been a productive week. Obviously, you're never satisfied. You always want to be able to do more."

The Bulls have two more practices, including one at the United Center, before the preseason schedule tips off with a home date against Dallas on Thursday, followed by a short trip to face the Pacers in Fort Wayne, Ind., the following night.

In past years, Scott Skiles opened up early practices to reporters who covered the team regularly, but this season the curtain has stayed closed. So here's a rundown of what some players had to say when asked to describe the first week of camp:

Kirk Hinrich: "There are different offensive and defensive philosophies. It's just a different feel to the team. I think it's probably one of the hardest training camps I've been through. It's just been kind of an adjustment for guys to break the habits of what we were asked to do the last few years compared to what we're being asked to do this year."

Larry Hughes: "I think Tyrus (Thomas) is looking real good. He's impressed me the most. Obviously, there are a lot of guards. You can't get around it at this point. We're trying to figure out where everyone fits in and how they'll fit in. It's a tough situation. We just have to really see how it plays out."

Thabo Sefolosha: "I really like the way Derrick Rose has been playing. I wasn't sure how ready he would be to bring his game to that level, but he's looked good so far. There's a lot of talking so far, because we've got to get through things and take care of the details. But it's no different from what I've been through before."

Drew Gooden: "It's been a tough training camp, but we've had guys pulling through. We have some new guys, we have young guys. We have a new coaching staff and a new system, a new philosophy. We have to put the time in. There's a lot more talking. We have to talk through a lot of things because we have new guys and new coaches."

Team meets ref: The Bulls had their annual referee meeting following Monday's practice to discuss points of emphasis for this season. As usual, the guest speaker was veteran official Danny Crawford, a Naperville resident.

"No rule changes, but they're going to pay attention to some specific things," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Guys flopping and hand-checking and things of that nature."

No word on whether Andres Nocioni stayed after class to discuss the flopping rules more carefully.

Medical report: Already nursing a sore ankle, Ben Gordon missed some of Monday's practice due to a toe injury. Center Aaron Gray returned from a sprained ankle to join in parts of the workout. Joakim Noah (eye) and Michael Ruffin (ankle) remain sidelined.