Salmons might fill in for Deng tonight
John Salmons could get his first start for the Bulls today in Charlotte, but the 6-foot-6 swingman isn't making a big deal out of it.
"I think starters want to start," he said Monday at the Berto Center. "But I'm just trying to help the team win. I'm not trying to cause no beef or anything like that about coming off the bench. If I come off the bench, I come off the bench. I have no power over it."
Neither Luol Deng (bruised right tibia) nor Tim Thomas (left quad tendon strain) practiced Monday, but neither has been ruled out against the Bobcats.
The Bulls feared Deng had a stress fracture in his right leg when X-rays were taken Saturday after the Bulls beat Houston. But an MRI exam the next day showed no break, which obviously came as a relief.
Deng said he plans to play tonight.
"It was really good news," he said. "I looked at the (MRI) pictures. I'm not sure what I'm really looking at. It's definitely a bruise. But in the X-ray, the blood vessel looked like a fracture. The MRI shows there's nothing there.
"I think right now I'm going to have some pain, but I don't think I can make it worse. On certain plays, I'm not jumping as well as I want to. It's almost like a shin splint. It feels that way."
Deng has struggled recently, averaging just 9.0 points in the last five games while shooting 39 percent from the field. He said the bruised shin hasn't affected his performance at all.
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Deng scored 21 and 22 points in the two games before the three newcomers - Salmons, Brad Miller and Tim Thomas - suited up for the Bulls.
Salmons, meanwhile, has been an effective scorer for the Bulls, averaging 15 points in his first five games while shooting an impressive 53.7 percent. He has knocked down 7 of 15 attempts from 3-point range.
"His defense seems to be better than I expected," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He gets after it defensively, which is great."
Salmons will most likely start if Deng can't go tonight. But the former Sacramento King has been playing 30 minutes a game for the Bulls, anyway.
Another positive sign from Saturday's comeback win over the Rockets was a better performance from Tyrus Thomas. He finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks after a couple of rough games on the road. Thomas seemed to be trying too hard to make things happen offensively, which resulted in forced shots and turnovers.
"Younger guys have a tendency to do that," Del Negro said. "You've got to play your role, know what your job is, go out and do it on a consistent basis. His consistency has been better in stretches; so has Joakim (Noah's) and Derrick (Rose's) and everyone else. I don't like to just pinpoint one guy."
Bulls vs. Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena, 6 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WMVP 1000-AM
Update: The Bobcats (25-35) just finished a five-game road trip with consecutive wins over Sacramento, Golden State and the L.A. Clippers. PF Boris Diaw (15.2 ppg) has come to life since arriving in a December trade from Phoenix, while SF Gerald Wallace (16.1 ppg) is the team's top scorer. Wallace didn't play in Charlotte's 110-101 overtime win against the Bulls on Dec. 16. The Bobcats tied the score with 19 seconds left in regulation when Derrick Rose was called for a disputed 3-shot foul against rookie guard D.J. Augustin.
Next: Golden State Warriors at the United Center, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
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