Big minutes piling up for Bulls' Rose
The infamous "rookie wall" should be a long way off for Derrick Rose, but the Bulls point guard has played more than 40 minutes for four straight games and was above 42 minutes in the last three.
Rose's playing time has increased since Kirk Hinrich was sidelined by a thumb injury last week. For the season, Rose is averaging 38.3 minutes, which ranks 11th in the league.
"It's something you keep an eye on a little bit, because it's a long season," said Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro. "Rookies aren't used to the length of it and how much is involved. We'll monitor that. It's tough not to have him out there at times. So you've got to pick your spots."
It certainly didn't take long for Rose, 20, to become invaluable to the Bulls. But Del Negro chose his words carefully on that topic.
"I don't know if he's a security blanket, but I feel better at times when he has the ball," Del Negro said.
Following Friday's practice at the Berto Center, newcomer Lindsey Hunter ran through plays with assistant coach Del Harris and four teammates. Del Negro wasn't sure if he'll be ready to send Hunter into tonight's game against Indiana.
Guard Larry Hughes made his season debut Thursday after recovering from a dislocated right shoulder. As a result, Thabo Sefolosha didn't play at all against Dallas.
"They both deserve more minutes," Del Negro said. "It's just that Derrick and Ben (Gordon) right now are the backcourt."
Picking up Pacers: Indiana, which visits the United Center tonight, had an interesting game Wednesday. The Pacers were missing all three of their top returning scorers - Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy - but still managed to win 98-97 at New Jersey.
Indiana is enjoying success with two new point guards, T.J. Ford (17.1 ppg, 6.4 apg) and Jarrett Jack, while Marquis Daniels (15.0 ppg) is off to a surprising start, playing the two guard in place of Dunleavy.
Granger (leg cramp) and Murphy (stomach virus) were both expected back for Friday's game against Philadelphia, while Dunleavy is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Big-man roulette: There seems to be no telling which inside combination will work well for the Bulls on a given night. Joakim Noah started at center Thursday against Dallas, but he went to the bench after playing less than four minutes and never returned.
"It was a little bit of an unfair matchup for him," Vinny Del Negro said. "I didn't do a good job with him on Dirk (Nowitzki). I told him that after the game and he understood."
Tyrus Thomas struggled Tuesday against Atlanta, then had a nice all-around game against Dallas and did guard Nowitzki well.
"Tyrus gives us a little bit of a presence when he plays as hard as he did last night," Del Negro said.