Changes for the better? Bulls think positive as camp opens
When the Bulls gathered at the Berto Center on Monday for the start of training camp, the prevailing theme was, "So Many Change, So Few Issues."
Tom Thibodeau will be a head coach for the first time after 20 years as an NBA assistant, but the players seem anxious to work with someone who has long been renowned as a master strategist.
The Bulls didn't reel in LeBron James or Dwyane Wade in free agency this summer, but everyone acted perfectly content with the addition of former Utah forward Carlos Boozer and a new cast of role players.
"With this team, I think we're good," said third-year guard Derrick Rose. "I don't think we need any more pieces or anything."
Overall, the only real question this season is whether the Bulls can beat the Miami Heat's star-studded lineup of Wade, James and Chris Bosh. But that one won't be answered for a while. The teams won't even play until Jan. 15 at the United Center.
"You guys talk about Miami a lot. I'm not talking about Miami," Boozer said. "I think we have enough talent on this team to beat anybody in the NBA. I know we have a lot of work to do to be able to prove that. Right now, it's just words."
Joakim Noah didn't make any predictions, but he acknowledged the Heat will be the NBA's focal point this season. Combining three young stars might be the most profound chemistry experiment the league has seen.
"I know a lot of people want it to be bad, because it could also be very, very scary," Noah said of Miami's new mix. "Can we compete with those guys? I hope so. I think we have the potential to, but there are a lot of questions marks about this team right now.
"We have a new coach, we have a lot of new players. The same negative things people are saying about Miami, we have very similar issues. Are we going to be able to jell together?"
The other newcomers include two other former Utah players - Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver, who will likely share minutes at shooting guard. C.J. Watson and Keith Bogans will provide depth at guard. The Bulls added a center with experience, Kurt Thomas, and a rookie, Omer Asik. Thibodeau also brought lightly-used forward Brian Scalabrine with him from Boston.
The Bulls have been regarded as a promising young team since Rose arrived in the 2008 draft, but Rose and Noah are the only players still with the team who were in uniform for the epic playoff series against the Celtics in 2009. Forward Luol Deng didn't play in the Boston series because of an injury.
"We have a great group of guys," Boozer said. "Coach Thibs, Pax (John Paxson) and Gar (Forman) put together a team of good, quality people. Not just basketball players, but good quality people. We have a group of guys that like to play ball, like to get along. We don't have any head cases. We don't have any problems. We have guys that like to be together. We have a team full of guys who want to win."
Obviously, the mood is cheery at Bulls camp. But practice doesn't start until Tuesday.