Noah wants to live in the now
Joakim Noah's reported conversation with Carmelo Anthony during all-star weekend seems feasible.
According to a report by espn.com, Anthony asked Noah what it's like to play for Tom Thibodeau and Noah basically challenged Anthony to sign with the Bulls this summer and find out.
But Noah didn't want to touch the topic when he met with reporters at Friday's shootaround.
"You want me to address that?" Noah said. "I don't feel like addressing it. I really have nothing to say about it. ... A lot of gossip."
Asked if he gave Anthony a recruiting pitch at the all-star game, Noah provided no details, but he didn't deny anything, either.
"Doesn't matter," Noah said. "What does that have to do with our team right now? It doesn't matter."
When the questions turned to whether or not he'd be willing to recruit potential free agents this summer, Noah drew the line.
"July 1st?" Noah said. "Really? We're talking about July 1st right now? Come on now. I understand you guys are doing your jobs, but I've got to do my job.
"I think we all know we're in a good place. Our team is in a good place. We got a healthy group, it's a healthy environment. We're not going to let gossip get in the way of what we're doing. We've gone through so much this year, so it's not going to be a little gossip that's going to get in our way."
The Bulls are expected to open some cap room this summer, but they don't seem interested in shedding enough players to offer Anthony the same $20 million starting salary he could get from the Knicks.
Noah's thumb OK:
Joakim Noah injured his right thumb in Wednesday's win at Detroit. He had the thumb taped Friday, but was in the starting lineup against Memphis. Coach Tom Thibodeau called it a sprain.
"I got an MRI. I'm good," Noah told reporters at the morning shootaround. "No surgery. Everything's good. I feel good. I'm all right."
Noah tore a ligament in his right thumb and needed surgery during the 2010-11 season.
For Memphis, top scorer Zach Randolph was back on the floor after missing Wednesday's loss at Brooklyn with stomach flu.
Ex-Bull soars in Memphis:
Former Bulls forward James Johnson has been a helpful midseason pick up for Memphis. He's averaged 8.6 points in 36 games.
"James has won us games, he really has," Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said. "He's kind of given us a body we don't have; a very lively, athletic body. He trimmed down from a couple years ago. When he's able to go north-south and find a gap, he's really able to sidestep people and finish at the rim as well as anybody who's a non-starter in the NBA, for sure."
Bulls remember Reinsdorf:
The Bulls wore a patch on their jerseys Friday with the initials DJR, in memory of David Reinsdorf, who passed away this week at age 51. David is the son of Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and brother of Bulls COO Michael Reinsdorf. The team will wear the patch for the remainder of the season.