Bulls hoping to leave Thomas' tirade behind
Tyrus Thomas returned to Bulls practice on Monday, two days after serving a team-imposed suspension.
Thomas did not address the media, which wasn't surprising. Most of the Bulls were anxious to reach the airport so they could beat the forecast of snowy weather into Indianapolis for Tuesday's game against the Pacers.
Listening to coach Vinny Del Negro and guard Derrick Rose following practice at the Berto Center, it seemed as though the Bulls almost expected an angry outburst from Thomas, who played 20 minutes or less in five straight games before the suspension.
"It's not the first thing that's happened with Tyrus," Del Negro said. "He's got to be smarter and he's got to be committed to the team. Today was a good practice, not (just) for him, but for everybody. Now we've got to move on."
Rose was also nonchalant about the incident, stressing that it was forgotten shortly after it occurred.
"He apologized right after that happened, just saying he was sorry and stuff like that," Rose said. "So we got that out of the way and now we're focused on just winning games. - It seems like he's on the right path, so we're just going to leave him that way."
Thomas and the Bulls have been on divergent paths for quite some time. The fourth-year power forward was suspended for skipping practice during the 2007-08 season. He showed some anger at being removed from games during last year's Boston playoff series, and was upset by a quick hook in a Jan. 9 game against Minnesota.
At the same time, he gave the Bulls a huge boost after returning from a broken arm on Dec. 26, averaging 16 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2 blocks in his first three games back.
"We definitely need him on the team," Rose said.
Thomas will be a restricted free agent this summer and doesn't figure to stay with the Bulls even if he's not dealt before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. But he is expected to be back in the rotation against Indiana on Tuesday.
Chris Richard, who signed a 10-day contract on Friday, played 20 minutes in Saturday's win over Miami and grabbed 7 rebounds. So it's possible Richard could continue to receive playing time while center Joakim Noah rests a sore foot.
"It depends on matchups," Del Negro said. "It depends on what we need out there. Chris gave us a nice boost the other night. He's physical inside, has a big strong body."
Asked what Thomas needs to do to stay on the court longer, Del Negro repeated a familiar list - run the floor, play hard, execute the game plan, hit open midrange jumpers and stay committed to the team.
"Tyrus has the ability to change games with his athleticism, but there has to be some type of consistency where you know what you're going to get from him," Del Negro said. "That makes it a little bit harder."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bulls game day</p>
<p class="News">Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse, 6 p.m. Tuesday</p>
<p class="News"><b>TV:</b> Channel 26</p>
<p class="News"><b>Radio:</b> WMVP 1000-AM</p>
<p class="News">U<b>pdate:</b> This is the first of three games against the Pacers in the next 19 days. Indiana (18-33) is in the midst of another mediocre season but can still be dangerous at home. When the Bulls beat the Pacers 104-95 on Dec. 29 at the UC, top scorer Danny Granger (22.3 ppg) was out with a foot injury. Indiana started rookie point guard A.J. Price in Saturday's loss to Milwaukee, but he suffered a concussion during the game and T.J. Ford scored 20 points off the bench. The Bulls are 3-17 all time at Conseco Fieldhouse.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Next:</b> Orlando Magic at the United Center, 7 p.m. Wednesday</p>
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