<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Coach Scott Skiles welcomed the Bulls back from their four-day All-Star break with one of the team's longer practices of the season, but forward Andres Nocioni did not partake in the two-hour workout Monday. Skiles said Nocioni, who has missed the last six games because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, is doubtful for the Bulls' home game tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. Nocioni continued his regimen of riding a stationary bike and added elliptical work and spot shooting. ''This is the most he did off the floor in conditioning,'' Skiles said. ''[Trainer Fred Tedeschi] wants to see how he reacts to what happened, but I would doubt he'd go [tonight]. If he gets up [today] and he's totally pain-free, it's possible.'' Nocioni said the foot pain is all but gone. ''A little pain, almost nothing, just a little bit tight,'' he said after practice. ''I did a lot more. I was running, I was taking open shots. So I felt really good.'' He's not feeling so good about the Bulls' five losses in the six games he has missed. But Nocioni downplayed how his absence has affected the team. ''They lost one player,'' said Nocioni, who's averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. ''But everybody knows how we are. We need everybody. I feel frustrated right now because we are losing. I want to play [tonight] if I can.'' Without Nocioni, the Bulls' bench has averaged only 22.1 points in the last six games. ''There's no question we miss him,'' Skiles said. ''I don't want to downplay his significance on our team. I just get a little bit tired of coaches whining when guys go out. It's pro sports. That's why you have 12 players. It's up to other guys to step up.'' That's particularly true on the road. Four of the last five losses have been away from the United Center. The Bulls are 29-25 overall but 9-18 on the road, with division dates at Cleveland and Detroit upcoming Thursday and Saturday. ''Our road record is what's killed us so far,'' Skiles said. ''It's something in the [final] 28 games we need to address, or we won't end up having a very good year.'' The remaining games are evenly split between home and road. Skiles set a preseason goal of having nine or fewer home losses, so the Bulls must go 12-2 in the final 14 games at the UC to achieve a 32-9 home record. ''Whether we can keep it in single digits, I don't know,'' he said. ''Actually, we've talked about the road more than anything else. And we have to be careful because a lot of time what we talk about ends up coming true. ''The guys are comfortable at home this year, something we've struggled with in the past. You can see it in the locker room. You can see it in the preparation [at the Berto Center] on the day of the game. I feel like we have a big home-court advantage.''</div> Source
This Nocioni injury has really made me realize, we are not nearly as deep as we thought we were originally. Khyrapa has been a disappointment to me, even when he has received minutes he has failed to bring the energy he had at the beginning of the year, Sweetney would be a monster if he can ever get himself into shape, and Tyrus is just to raw to really contribute right now. Some nights Tyrus comes to play others he looks lost. Hopefully, Noc is not out too much longer.
I disagree, since the break we beat two teams above us in the standings (though one was with Noc) and blew a big lead against Detroit. We may not be so deep but we have scorers to win us games.
