<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> The Bulls have one starting spot open this season, and 12-year veteran Joe Smith is in the mix to fill the vacancy at power forward.</p> ''There are four spots you can pretty much pencil in,'' coach Scott Skiles, hoarse from some rather vocal ''teaching'' through three days of training camp, said Thursday of the jobs secured by guards Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon, small forward Luol Deng and center Ben Wallace. ''There will just be a battle for [power forward]. I want the guys to battle for it.</p> ''It may show itself to us in exhibition [games]; somebody may play so well that it becomes very clear. I'm certainly open to that. But I wouldn't read a whole lot into who's declared the starter anyway at that spot. Because there are so many ways we can go, we may just be game-dependent on that. Certain nights we start somebody, and other nights we start somebody else.''</p> At 6-10 and 225 pounds, Smith is competing with Andres Nocioni (6-7, 225) and rookie Joakim Noah (6-11, 232), though Skiles also sees Smith getting minutes as a backup center. Either way, the Bulls believe they bolstered the frontcourt by signing Smith as a free agent in July.</p> ''He's going to be a factor,'' Skiles said of Smith, who has averaged 12.1 points with a .454 field-goal percentage through his career. ''He can start at the four, come off the bench, and he's content to do either.</p> ''He'll be a very consistent shooter. He's shot the ball well, moved around very well, ran the floor well and picked up our defensive things. And he has nice length. We have some nice versatility [at forward], so it will be a little bit of a challenge figuring out how it all works.''</p> Smith sat out of practice Thursday with swelling in his right knee after two workouts Wednesday.</p> ''There's no soreness or anything,'' said Smith, who had arthroscopic surgery on the knee in June 2006. ''It's been fine since then, and I was working out this summer.</p> ''But no matter how hard you work out, nothing prepares you for training camp. It just flared up on me, and hopefully I'll be back [today].''</p> Smith said the first few days of practice have been ''intense.''</p> ''We've been getting after it,'' he said. ''Even though we're tired a little bit, you really can't tell because everybody's into it every day. The sky's the limit for us.''</div></p> Source: Chicago Sun Times</p>
I'm surprised Skiles isn't considering Thomas for the starting 4, at least it didn't seem to mention him. I know he was primarily a backup last year and played the 5 a lot, but I think a big frontline of him, Wallace and Deng would balance the small backcourt of Hinrich and Gordon.</p>
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=49806&src=150</p> <p class="News">Thomas keeps working: Asked Tuesday whether Tyrus Thomas has improved his jump shot during the summer, coach Scott Skiles replied, "You mean the supposed 700-800 shots he was taking a day?</p> <p class="News">"It would be nice if he can make perimeter shots. But he's got to be able to sustain effort first through a quarter, a game or even a practice, for that matter. He's improving. But when you see a guy's athleticism like that, you always want more. So we're just trying to nudge him in the right direction."</p>
"supposed 700-800 shots per day" - that's ... cold.</p> Either Skiles is trying to light a fire under Thomas, or he's genuinely upset with his progress over the summer.</p> Maybe a third alternative is that Noah simply is that good.</p> </p>
This is an interesting dilemma for Skiles. He's done a nice job of developing younger players and balancing veterans to win in the regular season. However, the Bulls appear to be done with the rebuild and want to win now. Joe Smith is the best low post scorer out of the 3, but do you give him starter minutes and impede the development of your future PFs in Thomas and Noah?</p> Smith will be an asset in the playoffs, but how much time does he need to develop the chemistry with the rest of the starters?</p> Decisions, decisions, but at least Skiles has plenty of options.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shapecity)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> This is an interesting dilemma for Skiles. He's done a nice job of developing younger players and balancing veterans to win in the regular season. However, the Bulls appear to be done with the rebuild and want to win now. Joe Smith is the best low post scorer out of the 3, but do you give him starter minutes and impede the development of your future PFs in Thomas and Noah?</p> Smith will be an asset in the playoffs, but how much time does he need to develop the chemistry with the rest of the starters?</p> Decisions, decisions, but at least Skiles has plenty of options.</p> </div></p> I'd be completely shocked if Smith didn't start for the first month, at least. Bulls have a notorious "circus trip" and need all the chances to win those games as they can get.</p> The reality is Smith is good for 30 minutes if Skiles wants to give him what he can handle. Wallace gets 32 or 36 (that range). That still leaves 30 minutes for Nocioni, Thomas, and Noah to split. Nocioni should get some burn at the 3, too, and Skiles has talked about playing Deng at the 2, some.</p> </p> </p> </p>
I don't know why he's knocking Tyrus, but if he's considering Noah, who has a worse shot then Thomas.. I don't know what the hell is in his mind.</p>