Bulls' Noah not thinking about personal goals
Joakim Noah has posted a double-double in all six games this season and boosted his NBA-best rebounding average to 15.0 Monday night by grabbing 19 against Denver.
Asked if he'd like to emulate ex-Bull Dennis Rodman and win the rebounding title this season, Noah showed none of his trademark enthusiasm.
“No. I think right now it's all about playing basketball games,” he said. “I know it sounds pretty cliché, but that's what makes me happy. I play my role, and my role is to rebound the basketball.
“Right now it's just about winning basketball games and getting ready for the end of the year. That's what it's all about.”
Noah definitely found his rebounding rhythm as Monday's game continued, collecting 13 boards in the second half.
“I just felt like in the first half, I wasn't getting them,” he said. “I was getting my hands on them. They were playing pretty physical with me throughout the game. I stayed with it and eventually they started going my way.”
Carmelo likes Chicago:
The chances of Carmelo Anthony actually playing for the Bulls seem minuscule at best. But Denver's free agent-in-waiting had nice things to say about his opponent at Monday's morning shootaround.
“I don't want to say this in the wrong way and then you all take it … but anybody would love to play with a guy like Derrick Rose,” Anthony said. “A young point guard, young star, get the ball up and down the court. He's improved his game every year.
“You got a young big man in (Joakim) Noah. You got (Carlos) Boozer, right now Boozer's hurt, but they've got a good team right now.”
Anthony called Chicago one of the best basketball cities, thanks in large part to the guy whose statue stands on the east side of the United Center.
“Of course, what MJ (Michael Jordan) brought to the city,” he said. “Just the city itself, being a big city, the fans out here and just the historic value of basketball here. Everybody knows what Chicago basketball's about.”
Bull horns:
Keith Bogans reached double figures for the first time in six games as the starting shooting guard. He finished with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. … Denver has started the season without big men Kenyon Martin and Chris “Birdman” Andersen, who both are recovering from knee surgery. Nene had 8 points and 7 rebounds against the Bulls after missing the previous three games with a groin issue.