Rondo has given Bulls plenty to talk about
Rajon Rondo doesn't come across as a particularly talkative or outgoing person. Away from a basketball court, he's reserved and rarely changes facial expression.
According to teammate Taj Gibson, though, Rondo has turned the Bulls into an aggressively chatty team.
"We know how to communicate with each other. We're communicating a lot," Gibson said after Saturday's win over Indiana. "Rondo, he's constantly in my ear. Even when the game is over, I'm constantly hearing his voice. So that's a new part of this year."
Wait a minute. Does he mean Rondo's voice is still echoing in his ears when the game ends or does Rondo just keep on talking? Gibson wasn't specific.
"He's just always in my ear," he said. "I'm just always hearing him, 'Taj, Taj, Taj, Taj, Taj ... talk to me, talk to me, talk to me.' Even in practice, even if we're walking through, I'm just like, 'You're by yourself, you're by yourself.' It's just train of thought. It's a great thing."
Sounds like Gibson means talking on defense, letting Rondo know if any picks are coming. But Gibson says Rondo will share his observations when he watches video on a tablet during breaks in the game.
Rondo's previous stops in Sacramento and Dallas were disappointing, but so far, his style is going over well with the Bulls. Rondo had 13 assists in Saturday's victory over Indiana.
"He's a point guard, he's a pure leader," Gibson said. "He doesn't care if you miss it or mess up, he's always going to keep encouraging you. That's the kind of player you need on your team."
Lopez brothers clash:
On Monday in Brooklyn, Robin Lopez will play against twin brother Brook for the first time since joining the Bulls. While Brook has spent his entire NBA career with the Nets, Robin played for Phoenix, Portland, New Orleans and New York before the trade to Chicago this summer.
Asked which brother would win more games this season, Robin had fun with the answer.
"I think everybody knows that I'm the prettier twin and I'm the more charismatic twin," he said. "I think that's good for what, plus-5 wins. Probably, right, those kind of intangibles? I think it's pretty obvious.
"We're both naturally super competitive. If you look out there on the floor, we're not going to talk to each other at all. Business as usual for us."
D-League draft day:
The Hoffman Estates-based Windy City Bulls took part in their first D-League draft on Sunday. With their first pick, No. 12 overall, the Bulls chose 6-5 guard Aaron Thomas from Florida State. Thomas left the Seminoles midway through the 2014-15 season after averaging 14.5 points as a sophomore.
The other picks were 6-2 guard Sterling Gibbs from Connecticut, 6-0 guard Chauncey Collins from TCU and 6-9 forward Anthony Lee from Ohio State.
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Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center, 6:30 p.m. Monday
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Outlook: The Nets (1-2) don't look great on paper, but they have been competitive so far this season. Brooklyn lost by 5 at Boston, lost at the buzzer in Milwaukee and beat Indiana at home. PG Jeremy Lin and SG Bojan Bogdanovic are the top scorers at 17.0 ppg, with C Brook Lopez at 16.0 ppg and SG Sean Kilpatrick with a surprising 15.3 ppg. The Bulls have won three in a row at Brooklyn.
Next: Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday, 7 p.m.
- Mike McGraw