Hoiberg says Bulls' power forward slot wide open

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg admitted Tuesday three spots in the starting lineup are already settled with Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler as guards and small forward.

Power forward is the spot that is most up for grabs and Hoiberg said he treated it that way during the team's opening practice.

"It's an open competition. That's the thing I'm most excited about," he said. "Today was a great indication of the competitiveness of the practice - guys were out there flying around, they were competing, they were talking. We're going to play a lot of different combinations in this preseason.

"We ran Taj (Gibson) with the first group today, we ran Bobby (Portis) a little bit with the first group, Niko (Mirotic) a little bit. It's going to be ongoing and we'll see who earns that spot."

Hoiberg said the center slot is also open, although newcomer Robin Lopez seems to have a clear edge.

"Robin's been another guy that's been really, really impressive," Hoiberg said. "His ability to seal in transition; he's got great strength. He's a guy that can pass and he's always going to go out there and defend. And the great thing about Robin, he's never going to play outside of who he is."

Bulls shift medical staff:

The Bulls made changes to the medical staff this season, bringing back Chip Schaefer as director of sports performance. Schaefer was the Bulls' trainer during most the championship years.

"Chip was my trainer when I played," vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said. "He's done a little bit of everything. His knowledge and expertise are going to benefit us in that area. And we hired Mike Orr, who's a physical therapist. Again, a lot of what we're trying to do is injury prevention and those types of things."

Jeff Tanaka remains the Bulls' head trainer. Jen Swanson, who was brought on as director of sports performance three years ago, landed a role with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wait and see on Wade's rest:

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said there is no set plan on limiting Dwyane Wade's practice time. The 14-year veteran participated in all of Tuesday's 150-minute session.

"The big thing is how he feels," Hoiberg said. "I would anticipate he'll go (Wednesday) unless he tells me otherwise. But that's what it's got to be with Dwyane and I, it's got to be constant communication."