Bulls place no restrictions on Hamilton
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Derrick Rose could get limited minutes when he finally returns from a groin injury.
Shooting guard Richard Hamilton has played 20 minutes in each of the first two games back from a bruised right shoulder, but Thibodeau felt the two situations can’t be compared.
“There are no restrictions on (Hamilton’s) minutes,” Thibodeau said Saturday at the Berto Center. “As he continues to play more and his conditioning comes around … he’s missed significantly more time than Derrick, so it’s different. The way he’s practicing tells me he can handle more, but we’ll see. Performance, that’s part of it, too.”
Hamilton had a rough start when he first returned, then started looking more like his old self in the third quarter against Boston on Thursday.
Hamilton has missed 28 of the last 34 games with various injuries, so he figures to be rustier than Rose.
“The conditioning in a game is a lot different from practice,” Thibodeau said. “The intensity is different. We’re watching and studying and we’ll do what’s best for the team.”
Rose appreciates practice:
Even though the Bulls practiced for only about an hour Saturday, Derrick Rose appreciated the chance to be on the floor with his teammates.
“It feels good, just practicing with the guys, interacting with them,” he said. “Just running the play sets again, it feels great. I feel like a basketball player again.”
Rose was asked if he’s tried to do any explosive moves toward the basket. That’s been his specialty as a player, but it could be hindered by the groin injury.
“We play 1-on-1s in practice,” Rose said. “Isolation plays, just getting to the hole. I did do that today. We played 3-on-3 yesterday and it went pretty well. Cutting a lot, a lot of 1-on-1 action; sticking John Lucas, with how fast he is, chasing him around. It felt good.”
Bulls avoid shuffle:
The Bulls have held on to the best overall record in the NBA, but there has been plenty of movement elsewhere in the league.
Since beating the Bulls last Sunday, Oklahoma City dropped three in a row and fell percentage points behind San Antonio for the top spot in the West after losing at Indiana on Friday.
Miami had its 17-game home winning streak broken by Memphis on Friday. So the Bulls are currently two games up in the loss column for first place in the East.
“The important thing for us is not to jump ahead,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Concentrate on our improvement and being ready for the Knicks.”
If Derrick Rose plays today, the Bulls will field a full lineup for just the ninth time in 57 games this season.
“We’re just trying to stick together and just play well together,” Rose said. “The energy last game in the second half was great. That’s the Bulls everyone knows. That’s our identity — playing hard, getting fastbreak points, executing our half-court sets.