Unproductive Noah grabs some bench
In shuffling the starting lineup Saturday, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro seemed to finally acknowledge that second-year center Joakim Noah hasn't been contributing enough.
Aaron Gray started the 117-110 victory over Washington, while Noah spent the entire 48 minutes on the bench.
Noah has started 10 games, but hasn't been able to reach the level he was playing at the end of last season. In the past four games, he averaged 2.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and never logged as many as 20 minutes.
Asked before the game what Noah could do better, Del Negro suggested, "Being in the right spot a little bit more defensively and getting a better feel for the offensive execution and timing. There's a lot that goes into it - it's not just one thing."
Without a doubt, Gray has been the most consistent of the Bulls' young, big men this season. He grabbed 9 rebounds in 21 minutes against the Wizards but did not score. Tyrus Thomas played just 6 minutes Saturday as the Bulls went with smaller lineups most of the night.
Brown visits hometown: Former Illinois star Dee Brown feels like a trendsetter. He turned down a partially-guaranteed offer from Utah last year and spent the season in Turkey. Now he's back in the NBA as a starting point guard for the Wizards, scoring 3 points in 12 minutes in his hometown return.
"It was a great thing for my career," Brown said. "You're going to see more guys (go overseas). This year five went; 10 will go next year. It's going to double every year.
"(Living in Istanbul) was OK. I was playing basketball for a living. People can say what they want. There wasn't any media over there. There wasn't any talking to your teammates, really. It was just get in the gym, get better, win games."
Shear madness for Chapu: Andres Nocioni trimmed his hair before scoring 19 points in Saturday's contest. Nothing against his stylist, but Nocioni was missing the shaggy look when the game was over.
"I don't like it," he said. "I look terrible. It's growing again. I miss my mullet."
Ex-Bull arrested: A sad and bizarre story involving an ex-Bull developed this week in Cincinnati, where Corie Blount was arrested on charges of drug possession. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Blount was arrested Thursday after accepting a package in the mail containing 11 pounds of marijuana. Police followed Blount to his home and found 18 more pounds of the drug.
Blount was a popular teammate during two stints with the Bulls, most recently in 2003-04. The father of five had just completed a degree in criminal justice and was working as a volunteer coach at Cincinnati State Community College.
Short-time Chicagoan: Dee Brown and Derrick Rose weren't the only Chicago natives in Saturday's starting lineup. Washington rookie center Javale McGee spent his senior year in high school at Hales Franciscan after moving from Detroit.
McGree has two well-known basketball-playing parents. His mother Pam starred at USC and played briefly in the WNBA, while his father is former Illinois forward George Montgomery.
"Basketball was just my life and I grew up loving it," McGee said before the game. "Playing in front of my family is always great. I'm just excited."
McGee was impressive off the opening tip, blocking 4 shots in the first 21/2 minutes. McGee, however, played only 11 minutes overall against the Bulls.