Newest Bull Nichols says he belongs in NBA
Last summer, Demetris Nichols was given a piece of advice by the New York Knicks, and he rejected it flatly.
The Knicks wanted Nichols, a 6-foot-8 rookie from Syracuse, to develop his game overseas. He insisted on going to training camp and was cut by New York in late October.
That wasn't the end of the world, though. Nichols latched on with Cleveland, and when the Cavs had to make room on the roster for holdout Anderson Varejao, Nichols was claimed off waivers by the Bulls.
"Yeah, they (the Knicks) wanted me to go overseas," Nichols said Monday at the Berto Center. "But I think this is where I belong. I think I'm good enough."
Nichols averaged 18.9 points last year for Syracuse and was known as a long-range shooting specialist. He spent time after practice Monday knocking down a few dozen 3-pointers.
The Rhode Island native mentioned there was some sort of mistake on the medical tests he took at the NBA predraft camp and believes that's why he lasted until the 53rd pick of the draft. The Bulls chose Aaron Gray at No. 49 and JamesOn Curry at 51.
"If I didn't have the false test, I would have been a guaranteed top-30 pick," Nichols said.
Deng still sore: Luol Deng admitted his back was sore during Saturday's game against Boston, which was the second leg of a tough back-to-back for the Bulls.
"It's still bothering me a little bit," Deng said of the sore back that kept him out of three games on the November road trip. "I've just got to play. I don't know when it's going to end, but it's an injury that I've got to deal with."
It wasn't a bad night for Deng. He finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds while holding Boston forward Paul Pierce to 10 points on 1-of-8 shooting.
Durant makes UC debut: The Bulls will get their first look tonight at Seattle sensation Kevin Durant. The 6-foot-9 forward is running away with the rookie scoring race. He leads at 20.3 points per game, more than doubling Memphis' Juan Carlos Navarro's 10.0.
"He's definitely as good as advertised," Bulls guard Ben Gordon said of Durant, who scored a career-high 35 points Friday in a win over Milwaukee.
"He's so long and has the ability to handle and shoot the ball," coach Scott Skiles said. "He's a very good, young player."
Bull horns: Ben Wallace sat out Monday's practice to rest sore knees. Chris Duhon left practice early after getting kneed in the thigh. Both should be available tonight. … Scott Skiles was asked if he might consider playing Andres Nocioni at guard. "What are the first two letters of his last name?" Skiles quipped. "That's your answer to that question right there."