Noah learns origin of circus trip
Really, there is no reason for Bulls center Joakim Noah to ever think about what goes on at the United Center while the team heads West for the annual November road trip.
There was a funny moment at Monday's practice, though, when the third-year center asked why this is called the "circus" road trip
"I don't understand what's so circus about the trip," Noah said. "Everybody always says it's like a circus trip, but it's just a good team bonding (experience). We spend a lot of time together on the road."
A sympathetic reporter filled Noah in. It's called the circus trip because the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus moves into the United Center for two weeks every year, forcing the Bulls and the Blackhawks to hit the road.
"That's why they call it the circus trip?" Noah said with a laugh. "I was like, 'Why do they always call it the circus trip? What's so circus about it?' I didn't even know that."
Gray visits hospital: Center Aaron Gray was hospitalized for cellulitis, a type of skin infection, in his right knee. Gray has been out since early in training camp with a stress fracture in his left fibula and hasn't played yet this season.
The Bulls don't expect this latest problem to be a setback. Gray should be fine after getting some antibiotics, and coach Vinny Del Negro suggested the third-year pro might join the team for the latter half of the 10-day road trip.
Gray recently was cleared to run and might be close to returning to practice.
Del Negro said Tyrus Thomas (broken left arm) and Jerome James (torn right Achilles) would stay home for conditioning and not go on the road trip, which begins Tuesday at Sacramento.
Bulls choose daytime travel: This year's circus road trip features five games in 10 days against Western Conference teams, with a Nov. 30 visit to Milwaukee tacked on to the end.
One thing this trip doesn't include is any back-to-back games.
"It's the first time, I think, ever for me that we've gone on a long road trip and we haven't had a back-to-back game in it," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "So we do have some rest between games, which is a plus for us because of our lack of bodies."
The Bulls have just 10 healthy players, with Tyrus Thomas, Aaron Gray and Jerome James out with injuries.
On most of the stops during this trip, the Bulls will stay in town and practice the day after a game before moving along to the next city. Traditionally in the NBA, teams head straight from the arena to the airport after road games.
"I don't think there's much benefit to getting in at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning," Del Negro said. "I think it wears you down even more."