Thibodeau tries taller Bulls lineup

Joakim Noah (a flamboyand French-American) and Omer Asik (a quiet Turkish immigrant) don't appear to be a great match off the court.

Noah is starting to appreciate Asik's understated sense of humor, but the friendship is still a work in progress.

“He asked me for some gel the other day in the locker room, Noah said, apparently referring to the hair-care variety. “I was like, ‘Come on Omer, do I look like I wear gel?' He started laughing.

While Asik has turned down interview requests because he's not confident with the language, he has spent much of the past two years in Chicago since the Bulls acquired him on draft night in 2008.

“It's funny, because for somebody who acts like he doesn't speak English, he picks up on everything, Noah said. “If coach is talking to him, he understands everything a lot quicker than I do. He speaks English. Maybe he doesn't talk too much, but he understands everything.

On the court, the Noah-Asik combination has helped turn around the Bulls' rebounding deficit. In 2 preseason losses, the Bulls grabbed 35 fewer rebounds than Milwaukee and Dallas. In Friday's 107-96 win over Washington at the United Center, the Bulls won the battle of the glass 48-32.

Noah (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Asik (9 points, 10 rebounds) spent about 10 minutes on the floor together, giving the Bulls a rare look at two 7-footers at the same time.

“I felt good about that, coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “With two 7-footers on the floor, the paint gets shut down, it gives you rebounding, and Joakim's a better shooter than most people realize.

Noah admitted he's still getting into game shape after spending the summer resting a foot injury and focusing mostly on skills workouts.

“I feel like I've still got to get my legs right, Noah said. “I'm feeling real sluggish out there. I guess it just comes with more playing time.

Weaver delivers: Backup guard C.J. Watson has missed the passed two games with a leg bruise, giving John Lucas III and Kyle Weaver a chance to show what they can do.Lucas shot the ball poorly against Dallas on Thursday, while Weaver, a 6-foot-6 guard from Washington State, collected 5 assists and 5 points against Washington.#8220;I thought Kyle was terrific running the team. He recognized (Kyle) Korver got hot and delivered the ball to him great, said coach Tom Thibodeau, who wouldn't commit to keeping a third point guard on the roster.Foul performance: Through three preseason games, the Bulls are shooting a dismal 62.7 percent from the foul line. The worst offenders are Omer Asik (4-for-13) and Luol Deng (8-for-14). Kyle Korver, on the other hand, is 11-for-11.