Chicago Bulls' McDermott gets first NBA start
When asked about the starting lineup before Thursday night's game and at the morning shootaround, Chicago Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg gave hints that something might be happening.
For example, when asked before the game if the starting lineup would stay the same, he said, "As of right now, yes."
About an hour later, it wasn't the same. Second-year forward Doug McDermott was given his first NBA start, stepping in at small forward in place of Tony Snell.
The reason was obvious, McDermott has been sharp offensively, averaging 10.2 points per game while hitting 12 of 20 shots from 3-point range. Snell averaged 6.6 points and shot 38.7 percent overall in his five games as a starter.
Defensively, McDermott matched up against 6-foot-7 Andre Roberson, who doesn't get many shots in Oklahoma City's star-studded lineup.
Late in the first quarter, Hoiberg played McDermott and Snell together, giving Jimmy Butler an early rest after getting 2 fouls.
Hoiberg did address the lineup question after Wednesday's practice.
"We're looking at all the different combinations and lineups," he said. "It's obviously a very small sample size right now. We're just a few games in. But we can't dig ourselves a hole. (Tuesday at Charlotte), we dug ourselves a deep hole and never found our way out of it, got down 17 after the first quarter."
Ex-Gators get together:
Maybe first-year Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan still brings out the best in Joakim Noah. Donovan coached Noah in college at Florida, winning two national championships together, and Noah played with plenty of energy early in Thursday's game.
"I love the guy. What he did for me and the program down at Florida was incredible," Donovan said before the game in his still-thick Long Island accent. "I've always had a lot of love and affection for Joakim.
"Forget the basketball part of it. I think people see the floppy hair and the chest bumping and the passion. But I think people a lot of times don't get a chance to see him in a locker room. He's one of the greatest teammates I've ever had a chance to coach."
Asked how Noah is dealing with his new role coming off the bench for the Bulls, Donovan said they hadn't discussed it.
"I will say this: He is a team guy, so I think whatever Fred (Hoiberg) needs him to do, he'll do it," Donovan said. "He'll do whatever's asked of him. It's never, ever about him. It's always about what he can do to help his team win."
Second look still bad:
Fred Hoiberg took one last look at Tuesday's clunker at Charlotte, when the Bulls gave up 130 points.
"Usually, you look at a film and it's never as good or as bad as you think it is," he said. "(That game) was as bad as I thought it was. It was ugly from start to finish. We weren't helping each other. We weren't trusting each other at both ends. We weren't getting the ball moving on offense. Some things are unexplainable in life, and I guess that was one of them."