Gibson, Blair get to face off
Right off the bat on opening night, Bulls fans got a chance to assess the team's draft-night decision of selecting Taj Gibson at the No. 26 pick and letting Pittsburgh power forward DeJuan Blair slip into the second round, where he was chosen by the Spurs with the 37th selection.
Gibson and Blair went head to head Thursday at the United Center and played to a stalemate.
Gibson didn't knock down the open shots like he did in preseason, but he finished with 6 points and 6 boards, compared to 6 and 4 for Blair, who began his NBA career with 14 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday against New Orleans.
A few days before the draft, Blair flew to Chicago for a second workout with the Bulls. Before Thursday's game, he didn't have much to say about being passed over twice.
"The draft is over," Blair said. "I've just got to keep playing. They got what they wanted."
Anything memorable about those Chicago workouts?
"The championships - that's about it," he said. "Knowing it's where Michael played."
Rookie forward James Johnson, the Bulls' No. 16 pick in the draft, did not play Thursday, which wasn't surprising. Gibson was the more polished player in the preseason.
No extension near: Tyrus Thomas' agent, Brian Elfus, was at the United Center for Thursday's game. He said there have been "amicable discussions" with the Bulls about a contract extension for Thomas, but the two sides are not close to reaching an agreement.
There is no reason to expect an extension before Saturday's deadline, because the Bulls are planning to keep some salary-cap room available next summer.
On the other side, Thomas is a young player who expects his value to keep rising. If he doesn't sign an extension this week, Thomas will become a restricted free agent in 2010.
Not many players from the draft class of 2006 have signed extensions.
Toronto's Andre Bargnani was the first, followed by Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland. Ex-Bull Thabo Sefolosha agreed to a four-year, $15-million deal with Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Tall lineup unleashed: As predicted in Wednesday's All Bull blog, coach Vinny Del Negro pulled Tyrus Thomas midway through the first quarter, then brought him back at the quarter break for Luol Deng.
That move allowed the Bulls to play with a taller front line of Thomas, Brad Miller and rookie Taj Gibson, which built a short-lived, 5-point lead early in the second quarter.
Thomas played well at the start of the second half, so he stayed in the game, and Del Negro finished the third quarter with an even bigger lineup of Thomas, Miller and Gibson, with Deng at shooting guard.
"More depth, more versatility, and we'll try to use that to our advantage," Del Negro said.