Crawford reflects on days with Bulls
Being back in Chicago on Wednesday gave Golden State guard Jamal Crawford a chance to reflect on the early part of his career.
The Bulls once thought Crawford, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry would be the nucleus of a winner. But that never came about and all three players have moved on.
"It's crazy, because I look at a team like Portland and you see all the young talent they have collected and I'm like, 'Wow, that was like me, Tyson and Eddy.' Then Jay (Williams) came, then after Jay, Kirk (Hinrich)," Crawford said. "It kind of reminded me, that's probably the best set of young talent - young guys all together - since our days in Chicago."
Crawford was asked what he would say to himself if could go back in time to 2002 or '03.
"To be more mature, definitely," he said. "Be more of a leader. It's funny, because you wish you could go back and change time. I talked to Tyson maybe two weeks ago and just talking to him, he seemed like a totally different person as well.
"I talked to Eddy about three days ago and he's doing well. I just like to check on him, make sure he's OK. He's had a rough year. It's weird, he's still smiling and laughing and everything. I'm like, 'Wow, maybe you don't see what's happening around you.' But that's a good thing for now, he can block out everything else."
Slow to give praise: Joakim Noah gave quite a backhanded compliment to center Brad Miller, who joined the Bulls in the Feb. 18 trade with Sacramento.
"I love playing with Brad," Noah said Thursday. "I think he's a veteran player who I can learn a lot from, who knows the game really well. I really like his style, I like his swagger. He's just a cool dude to have in the locker room. Very, very slow and very nonathletic. But somehow he just gets it done."
With another big game (17 rebounds, 14 points, 4 blocks) against Golden State on Wednesday, Noah is now averaging 9.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in his last 13 games.
LSU forwards battle: Tyrus Thomas had an interesting battle with fellow LSU product Anthony Randolph on Wednesday. In the first quarter, Golden State's 6-foot-10 rookie blocked a Thomas dunk attempt from behind, causing the Bulls forward to land awkwardly. Thomas came right back with a lane drive and two-hand dunk.
"During the summer, we play against each other back home," Thomas said. "He's a good kid, going to be good in this league. He's just got to play through the situation he's in. In Golden State, Nellie (coach Don Nelson) has a reputation of being inconsistent with his rotation and that's kind of hard for him right now."