Bulls try to continue win streak vs. Gordon, Wallace
For the Bulls, playing against Ben Gordon and Ben Wallace when the Detroit Pistons arrive in town isn't such a big deal any more.
Luol Deng and Joakim Noah are the only Bulls who were around during the Big Ben, Little Ben Era.
From the other side, playing against the Bulls might be a big deal. Gordon went 0-4 against the Bulls last season after jumping to the Pistons as a free agent in the summer of 2009.
“Last year it was kind of weird after playing with (Gordon) for one year,” Rose said. “But now, we're going to go at them. He tends to be aggressive throughout the whole game and tries to put the team on his back, but we know that our defense has changed and we should be able to stop it.”
Gordon scored 12 points off the bench in Detroit's season-opening loss at New Jersey, while a familiar problem plagued Wallace. He went 2 for 8 at the foul line and was pulled off the floor in the fourth quarter when the Nets started fouling him intentionally. New Jersey rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win 101-98.
T-Mac starts slowly
A new face on the Pistons this season is Tracy McGrady. The former league scoring champ was interested in joining the Bulls and worked out at the Berto Center this summer.
Eventually, the Bulls passed, signed Keith Bogans instead and McGrady went to Detroit. Still trying to work his way back from knee surgery, McGrady played just eight minutes in preseason and went scoreless in 14 minutes at New Jersey.
“You got to modify your game, you have to know your strengths and weaknesses,” McGrady said in the Detroit News. “One thing I know I can do is make plays. I can be a factor.”
Brewer needs time
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on Ronnie Brewer, who went 0-for-6 from the field at Oklahoma City and missed badly on a few drives to the basket.
“Physically, he's fine. He's still finding his way. What you have to remember is Ronnie's missed a lot of time; basically half of last season, two months this summer and he missed time in training camp. So the more he plays, the more he practices, the better he'll get.”
Brewer suffered a partially torn right hamstring shortly after being traded from Utah to Memphis last February and missed the rest of the season. A sore hamstring kept him out of the first two weeks of training camp.
Bull horns
The Bulls named Sidney Green a team ambassador. He served as big man coach last season, a title now held by Ed Pinckney. ... Ex-Dallas center Erick Dampier agreed to a deal with Houston on Friday. The Bulls met with the 7-footer, but never had serious interest.