Del Negro giving Thomas extra attention in preseason
So far in preseason, the Bulls haven't answered many questions pertaining to their best lineups, Vinny Del Negro's coaching style or the proper way to use rookie Derrick Rose.
If nothing else, Ben Gordon may have already made his point about wanting a better contract offer from the Bulls. They are 1-0 when Gordon has played in preseason, 0-4 when he hasn't.
That shouldn't be much of a surprise, since a dangerous 3-point shooter can do wonders for the inside scorers and Rose's assist totals.
At the same time, we really haven't seen what the Bulls are capable of doing. Gordon hasn't spent much time on the court due to a jammed big toe, and Del Negro admitted Saturday that he's scaled back the offense to include only basic schemes.
Just three games remain before the Bulls tip it off for real Oct. 28 against Milwaukee. In the meantime, a few truths have become evident about this work in progress:
Del Negro appears serious about developing Tyrus Thomas: If he hadn't fouled out twice, Thomas might lead the Bulls in minutes played during preseason. He has three double-doubles in five games and has knocked down an impressive 25 of 28 free throws. The bad news is the third-year forward has shot 36 percent from the field.
One stretch in Saturday's 88-80 loss to Utah was telling. In the second quarter, the Bulls isolated Thomas twice in a row against Mehmet Okur. The first time, Thomas drove into the lane and hit a short pull-up jumper. Then, he buried a 18-foot jumper on the next trip while getting fouled by Okur.
Of course, later in the game, Thomas missed a quick turnaround while the Bulls trailed by 7, causing Del Negro to throw his hands over his head in anguish.
"Tyrus is obviously very athletic," Del Negro said following the game. "I think his shot's improved. But understanding the game, the flow of the game, time and score - there's a lot of things (to improve). But he's a great kid. He's worked hard. As he continues to develop, obviously our chances go up."
The lineup must be fluid: There may be no way of predicting what combination will work best on a particular night. As it stands now, the Bulls do not possess an all-star caliber player and have a number of youngsters who are by nature inconsistent.
Drew Gooden played very well in two games, then couldn't accomplish much over the weekend against Utah's Carlos Boozer. Joakim Noah was more productive off the bench Saturday, finishing with 10 rebounds and 7 points in 23 minutes. Aaron Gray collected 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in the final five minutes of the contest.
Kirk Hinrich (8.6 ppg) and Luol Deng (11.0 ppg) have been pretty average during preseason. Andres Nocioni has run hot and cold. Larry Hughes is shooting 31 percent. No one on this team should feel insulted if asked to take a seat on the bench.
Rose is the real deal: When general manager John Paxson pleads for patience with Rose, he's pointing out that the No. 1 draft pick needs time to learn the league, learn the plays and perfect an outside shot.
But Rose has had his hometown crowd gasping in awe at least a dozen times so far in preseason. His athleticism at the point guard spot may be unprecedented.
Whether the Bulls have the right personnel to surround him remains to be seen. But given time, Rose should be able to win games in the fourth quarter and turn it up a notch for the playoffs.
How long will it take to get there? That's another question for the waiting list.