Alexander happy to be getting a chance with Bulls
When the Bulls made the three-player trade with Milwaukee last week, forward Joe Alexander was toiling for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the Development League.
Now Alexander is free to join the Iowa Energy, the Bulls' D-League affiliate. But the thought of another trip to the NBA's minor league is maddening.
"No, I don't think so," Alexander said when asked if another D-League assignment would be appealing, if only for the playing time. "As far as being good for my development, I don't know if it was the best thing for me."
Six appearances with Fort Wayne is Alexander's only game action this season. He injured a hamstring during training camp and never played for the Bucks.
Of course, Alexander became somewhat infamous last fall when Milwaukee refused to pick up his third-year option, unprecedented for a No. 8 draft pick. As a rookie, he played in 59 games for the Bucks, averaging 4.7 points in 12.1 minutes.
"I thought I played like a rookie when I was in Milwaukee," Alexander said. "I was hurt for both of our training camps and I was hurt all this year. So as far as them being able to evaluate me, they couldn't - and they didn't seem to want to."
The Bulls probably are eager to see what Alexander can do. The 6-foot-8 forward is a remarkable athlete and was very highly regarded when he left West Virginia in 2008.
Right now the roster is crowded, so Alexander has been inactive in three of four games and has yet to play for the Bulls.
"If not this year, maybe next year, I hope," said Alexander, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. "It feels good to be around people who don't already have preconceived notions about what they think you can't do.
"It's nice to be in a new place."
Question of trust: At the start of Wednesday's action, the Bulls led the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage at .437.
It has been a quiet ascent to the top and unusual because the Bulls are 14th in points allowed, another key defensive category.
Before playing the Pacers, coach Vinny Del Negro was asked how it happened.
"You have to work together," he said. "It's a team sport and when the ball moves you should move. When a teammate moves, you should always trust and help. Building trust at this level takes time.
"The guys are starting to trust each other a little bit more and they're getting better results from it. When you get better results, it builds confidence."
The Bulls led the league in defensive field-goal percentage a few times under coach Scott Skiles, with a low of .422 in 2004-05.
Bull horns: Veteran guard Lindsey Hunter was away from the team for a second straight game due to personal reasons. - Tickets still remain for the FestaBulls fundraiser March 8, which will be held for the first time at the Shedd Aquarium.