Chicago Bulls News Feeds

Good Hope · Sep 24, 2010

LInk

The four teams, said one source close to the talks, are "seriously engaged" after extensive talks Thursday.

However, one obstacle is Anthony's willingness to sign a contract extension with the Nets. A source told ESPN.com that the Nets will not go through with the trade -- even if Denver is ready to pull the trigger -- unless Anthony commits to signing a contract extension, as Kevin Garnett did as part of the mega-trade that sent him from Minnesota to Boston in July 2007.

Because Anthony has the ability to become a free agent at season's end -- which is the hammer that has enabled his agent, Leon Rose, to apply such pressure to the Nuggets in hopes of forcing a trade before the start of the season -- New Jersey is unwilling to sacrifice assets such as Favors and Harris without a guarantee that Anthony will be there for the long term.

ESPN.com reported earlier this week that Anthony's representatives have been pushing Denver to deal the 26-year-old to New York or Chicago, his two preferred destinations, but the Knicks lack the trade assets required to tempt Denver and the Bulls have consistently refused to make center Joakim Noah available, trying instead to sell the Nuggets on a package headlined by swingman Luol Deng.
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MikeDC · Sep 24, 2010

However, one obstacle is Anthony's willingness to sign a contract extension with the Nets. A source told ESPN.com that the Nets will not go through with the trade -- even if Denver is ready to pull the trigger -- unless Anthony commits to signing a contract extension, as Kevin Garnett did as part of the mega-trade that sent him from Minnesota to Boston in July 2007.
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That would seem to be the issue all along

RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Sep 24, 2010

Hornets sign ex-Bulls guard Pargo

Tribune News Services

NEW ORLEANS -- Free-agent guard Jannero Pargo is returning to New Orleans, and the Hornets also signed forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu on Friday. Details of the contracts weren't released.

Pargo has played in the NBA for seven seasons, averaging 6.6 points and 2.0 assists in 379 games with the Bulls, Lakers, Raptors and New Orleans. He spent two seasons with the Hornets from 2006-08, where he averaged 8.6 points and 2.4 assists over 162 games.

Mensah-Bonsu has played in the NBA for three seasons. He signed a two-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks before the 2006-07 season and appeared in 12 games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds.

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RSS: Blog a Bull · Sep 26, 2010

When 'early' means 'on time' as it comes to Joakim Noah

There's been no update to Alex Kennedy's Hoopsworld report from Saturday morning stating Noah's unhappiness with his contract situation heading into training camp, including his supposed 'statement' of not showing up at the encouraged early arrival.

Training camp officially starts Monday (yay! news!), and Noah will be there, though contract extension not in hand. The Tribune's KC Johnson (who's certainly proven to be, ahem, 'plugged in' to Bulls management) has taken to the twitter and saying this is nothing to worry about: an extension will be done. Though he covers by saying 'will be' may be next offseason when Noah is a restricted free agent. While not specifically mentioning numbers like the Hoopsworld report, Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that the two sides were 'far apart'. How can they really close a large gap if one side doesn't negotiate?

It's been reported in past seasons when offering early extensions (which is the contract period Noah's in until the start of the season) that the Bulls often make firm, fair offers that may be considered an eventual discount for them, but with the understanding it provides early security for the player that they don't have to give.

I asked KC directly (twitter is neat like that) whether this is a true negotiation, or more take-it-or-let-market-set-it like the past, and he speculated that this would have more 'give and take'. That's encouraging news, as there hardline approach has rubbed players the wrong way in previous seasons.

I jokingly made the parallel of these trade rumors and contract talks to those of the '07-'08 disaster, and it's still merely tongue-in-cheek. But while the Bulls encourage players to get to camp early there's a similarly good-faith reason to get contracts done early as well. This year's team is far too talented (though with an inexperienced head coach) to fold like that Ben Wallace-'led' Bulls team did, but it still seems simply unnecessary to have uncertainty with one of your self-touted franchise cornerstones, all to save potentially (at most) a few million each season.

Not that there isn't a limit to what they should offer Noah, but I can't imagine the eventual compromise would be so high (including his rumored stance of $70m over the 5 years) to where I'm upset. The Bulls are capped-out for years to come, any additional funds is just cash from the largest profit-coffers in the league. In contrast, a situation where Noah leaves as a free agent would be pretty indefensible.

So while the Bulls may feel they have no pressure on themselves to act swiftly, there has to be some dollar figure in mind that's worth not going into this season with a disgruntled young cornerstone? I'm not one to buy into 'bad vibes' being worth much consideration, but it's some consideration. The Bulls are basically confirming a summer's worth of verbal commitment to Noah by not including him in a possible deal for Carmelo Anthony. So they should commit officially with a massive pay increase.

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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Sep 27, 2010

Bulls' budding Rose asks: 'Why can't I be MVP?'

By K.C. Johnson

Derrick Rose first boasted about his improved 3-point shooting range in an interview at Las Vegas Summer League in July.

Now, he's displaying his growing confidence for the NBA world to hear.

"Why can't I be the MVP of the league?" Rose said at Bulls Media Day festivities on Monday at the Berto Center. "Why can't I be the best player in the league?"

Rose has been emboldened by his summer workouts as well as his stint with Team USA that won the gold medal at the World Championships.

"This summer was great for me," Rose said.

In his first two seasons, Rose won Rookie of the Year and became the Bulls' first All-Star since Michael Jordan in 1998. That said, it's a big jump to league MVP.

"If Derrick feels that, it's good for us," Joakim Noah said. "He's an unbelievable talent."

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RSS: Bulls Official News · Sep 27, 2010

Top 20 questions facing the 2010-11 Chicago Bulls

It was 20 years ago when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls began their march to a dynasty and six championships in eight seasons. In the ongoing spirit of championship dreams, here are the top 20 questions facing Derrick Rose and the 2010-11 Bulls.

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RSS: Blog a Bull · Sep 28, 2010

Chicago Bulls NBA Blogger Preview (2010-11 Season)

More photos » Jim Prisching - AP

Carlos Boozer refuses any silliness. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Browse more photos »

The following is my entry in the NBA Blogger preview series, follow all the team previews at SBNation.com:

Team Name: Chicago Bulls

Last Year’s Record: 41-41

Key Losses: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller

Key Additions: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Tom Thibodeau (head coach)

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?
The Bulls have spent the past 2 seasons clearing out long-term contracts in preparation for the 2010 free agent class. Rotation players John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas were shipped out for expiring contracts at the trade deadline, and the Bulls used their 2010 first-rounder to dump Kirk Hinrich and his two remaining contract years on the Wizards. Bulls fans knew to expect that most of the team that made the playoffs the past two seasons would be gone, but a strong group remained in Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Taj Gibson with enough cap space to entice a star to join them.

Didn't work out, as the Bulls failed to land any of the top free agents. But the front office regrouped in making solid signings to fill out their roster, leading with Carlos Boozer. Boozer is one of the biggest acquisitions in franchise history, and finally ends the drought of frontcourt scoring that has plagued them for years. Coming from Jerry Sloan's Jazz, he should be a great complement in the pick/roll game with Rose on offense, and also fits in well on defense alongside an athletic tall big like Noah.

With Boozer in the fold as the team's major piece, the Bulls worked to fill out their collection of wings, making solid signings in young veterans Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, and Ronnie Brewer. Each filling a role and two of them having played with Boozer in Utah, these weren't inherently exciting signings, but were smart moves to be made in the wake of missing out on the biggest fish of free agency.

The Bulls also made a major change in firing Vinny Del Negro and hiring long-time NBA assistant Tom Thibodeau, who had become one of the league's hottest coaching candidates after gaining notoriety as architect of the Celtics defense. While a first-time head coach like Del Negro, Thibodeau comes in with a much more accomplished resume.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

Defense, rebounding, and overall physicality. With all the faults of the Vinny Del Negro era (and oh, there were many), he did have the Bulls playing as a top-10 defense for most of the season (finished 11th after the midseason trades and an injury to Noah). Anchored by Joakim Noah (one of the best help defenders in the game and an improving shotblocker) and supplemented by an underrated perimeter defender in Deng, Thibodeau's defense-first mindset should fit in well with this roster.

Kirk Hinrich will be missed on that end of the floor, but he was always undersized for the position compared to new acquisition Ronnie Brewer. Boozer isn't known as a great defender but he's a physical one, and Noah ought to cover a lot of his mistakes. The bigs off the bench include second-year player Taj Gibson and rookie Omer Asik, the former having proven to be an above-average defender and the latter excelling in shotblocking while playing overseas.

A big concern will be the maturation of Derrick Rose on that end of the floor, but while we can't buy into mere words, Rose at least acknowledges the problem and maintained it will be a focus of improvement, and a special project of Thibodeau.

The Bulls also should augment that D with very good rebounding, as their entire starting frontcourt of Deng, Boozer, and Noah is amongst the best at their positions. They are simply a big and athletic lineup overall, from Rose's superlative strength as a point guard on through Brewer and that frontcourt. A lot of teams in recent Bulls history came in with an inherent physical disadvantage, but this one certainly wont.

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

The Bulls were one of the league's worst offenses last season due to a reliance on the least-efficient shot in basketball, the long two-point jumper. And they weren't even that successful at making those. Inside scoring should be much improved with Boozer, but the Bulls still have a glaring lack of 3-point shooting. The Bulls only shot 33% from the arc last year, exacerbated by shooting the 2nd-fewest attempts in the league. They may be shooting even fewer with Hinrich leaving, and though Korver is one of the best marksmen in the league he'll be coming off the bench.

Rose spent this summer working on increasing his range, and Deng always seems just a foot away (literally) from becoming more of a threat, but this will be a major issue for the Bulls offense this season as opponents will likely pack the lane to defend the drives of Rose and crowd Boozer in the post. Thibodeau has mentioned an increased emphasis on the 3-point shot as opposed to Del Negro's offense, but they simply may not have the personnel to keep opponents honest.

4. What are the goals for this team?

After two seasons of water-treading as collateral damage for reaching roster flexibility, the time is now for the Bulls to start building towards title contention. They're not at that tier yet, and the superteam in Miami (joining incumbents Orlando and Boston) may always keep them a step below.

But the Bulls should be out of defined mediocrity and up towards the top half of the conference, battling the Hawks and Bucks for the next few playoff spots. Winning a weakened Central Division is certainly possible and would guarantee the Bulls a top-4 seed, being favored in the first round of the playoffs.

5. What could derail those goals?

The offensive woes mentioned above could keep the Bulls from 50 wins, but an unforeseeable hurdle this season could be staying healthy. Carlos Boozer missed many games in his Jazz career, and (unfairly or not) becoming known as someone willing to sit out for longer than the diagnosis would suggest. There's a worry that a new fat contract could lessen Boozer's desire, but he also has something to prove in Chicago after being effectively let go by his former team.

Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are also to be watched on the injury front, each suffering through plantar fasciitis through last season, with Noah missing 18 games due to the injury. They should be fully ready for this season, but it's the type of injury that historically plague big men throughout their careers in some form.

Another concern is that while the suggested improvement in coaching is all but assumed, what Tom Thibodeau can do in a head coaching role is still technically an unknown. He certainly won't fail due to lack of preparation, but there are certain things that a new coach can't be prepared for until he takes that lead position, and there may be growing pains especially in locker room management. The Bulls did a good job this offseason signing players with a set rotation (and hierarchy) in mind, hopefully easing the transition for Thibodeau.

Prediction:

What the Bulls do have that can mask a lot of deficiencies is a budding star in Derrick Rose. He'll pull out games that maybe they shouldn't win, and if he makes the improvements to his game and leaps into stardom, they really have a roster that complements him well.

I'm not counting on any major setbacks, but the Bulls path to 50 wins will see minor challenges throughout the season keeping them just short. The more important thing is that with a lot of new players and a new coach, the Bulls should improve over the course of the season, playing their best ball when it's time for that first round playoff matchup. Ideally at home.

Record: 48-34

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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Sep 28, 2010

Bulls' Rose vows to improve defense

By K.C. Johnson

Two weeks ago, long before Bulls training camp began, Derrick Rose stopped by the Berto Center in non-workout clothes.

That didn't stop coach Tom Thibodeau for staging an impromptu defensive lesson on shadowing the ball to disrupt passing lanes. Contrary to Rose's reputation as a poor defender, Thibodeau believes his point guard has serious potential at the end where he isn't noticed much.

"I thought he was terrific this summer," Thibodeau said. "I saw a number of his (Team USA) practices. His ball pressure was great. As the summer went on, he challenged shots. There were a lot of nights where he rebounded the ball extremely well. To me, when he rebounds the ball and busts out with it, it's almost impossible to stop him. When he gets a head of steam and comes at your defense, there's not much you can do."

Rose, too, has seen the benefits of strong defense leading to easy offense and vows to commit to that end.

"Defensively, I can be a hassle on the court and bother most point guards and still catch up with them," Rose said. "(Team USA) Coach Krzyzewski and his staff, it started with the point guard. They wanted me to pick them up fullcourt and at least turn them a couple of times before they got past halfcourt. They wanted me to get into guys so that they would have to make a play instead of them running offense."

Rose is known for his offense. This season, he hopes to be known for more than that.

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RSS: Blog a Bull · Sep 28, 2010

Training camp roster battles, and what to do with James Johnson

As a reminder, your rotation:

Starters: Rose, Brewer, Deng, Boozer, Noah
Bench: Korver, Gibson, Watson, Asik/Thomas*, Bogans

*figuring it'll be one or the other, depending on how Asik looks in camp.

That's basically everyone with a guaranteed contract (and James Johnson, but more on him later), and today Sham goes into extensive detail on the background of those invited to camp: Brian Scalabrine, John Lucas III, Roger Powell, Chris Richard, and Kyle Weaver. A good read if you're unfamiliar with any of them, including what Roger Powell has been up to since leaving Illinois.

Sham's guess is that Scalabrine and Lucas are the best bets to make the team, though only Lucas would be of any help (being a 3-point shooter who sortof has another skill as emergency PG, whereas Scal is not much of a shooter who has zero other skills). Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago agrees, citing the Thibodeau connection above anything, and confirmation that Thibodeau has been given leeway in the Org. and is using it.

Sham likes Weaver also as a backup (backup) wing, but it's a role that James "Jimmy Johns" Johnson currently has. But he interestingly notes that the Bulls could always send Johnson to the DLeague (as a 2nd year player he's eligible).

It's worth considering, as Johnson clearly needs development, and could he get it with the roster as packed as it is, and practice time during an NBA season being so sparse? The DLeague may not prove anything either, but if the Bulls had trust in the coaches there it could be a better shot to get Johnson to become a useable NBA player. As it stands now, he still has intriguing skills but a playoff team like the Bulls likely would rather have the safe choice off the deep bench, meaning while Kyle Weaver has proven to be merely a fringe NBA player, he'd at least know where to be on the court. If there was an injury to where minutes opened up and they'd rather roll the dice that Johnson has a better chance at real production, Johnson could always be recalled.

Unfortunately, I don't even think the Bulls are considering it as an option, given their spotty record with the DLeague. They did use it last year for some late season call-ups (including Richard), but one of their last 'relegated' players nearly got killed, and it's never been much of a relationship before or since.

Johnson is an interesting case this camp beyond his prospective playing time: it's possible that the Bulls decide not even to pick up his 3rd year contract option for the '11-'12 season. That seems a bit extreme, as even as a lost cause it'd only be ~$1.8m in salary, at the least useable in future trades.

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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Sep 29, 2010

Thibodeau compares Noah's energy to Garnett's

Joakim Noah tries to slow down the Celtics' hard-driving Kevin Garnett. (Nuccio DiNuzzo)

By K.C. Johnson

Tom Thibodeau clearly remembers his reaction when Joakim Noah donned a Bulls cap atop an ensemble of frizzy hair, seersucker suit and bow tie on 2007 NBA draft night

"This guy's a character," Thibodeau recalled thinking Wednesday.

Thibodeau also now knows Noah has character, which is why the Bulls coach broke out an impressive comparison after Wednesday's morning practice at Berto Center.

"His motor is great; it's very similar to Kevin Garnett," Thibodeau said. "It's high-energy. I never see him low-energy. It doesn't matter if it's the start of practice or the end of a three-hour practice. He's always in motion.

"I felt that when I was on the opposing team when we competed against him. He was one of those guys who didn't take plays off. And he's a multiple-effort guy. He'd make four or five efforts on the same play.

"Those type of players really help drive the team. With Garnett, what he did every day in practice, then he'd make effort plays in games that would lift the team. Kevin did that consistently. He'd get his hand on to tip the ball or get on the floor and recover the ball. All those things are great for the team."

Told of Thibodeau's comparison, Noah smiled.

"Kevin Garnett is a helluva player," Noah said. "So that's very nice of him."

Asked if he feels that's part of his responsibility as a player, Noah turned philosophical.

"I'm just being me," he said. "I promise I'm not faking. That's just the way I play the game."

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RSS: Bulls Official News · Sep 29, 2010

Chicago Bulls tickets on sale Fri., Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.

Tickets for every Chicago Bulls 2010-11 home game will go on sale on Friday, October 1 at 10 a.m. at Bulls.com, 1.800.4NBA.TIX, the United Center and Ticketmaster.

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RSS: Blog a Bull · Sep 30, 2010

Some Notes From Bulls Training Camp: Brewer vs. Korver, Asik, Noah

[From the Fanposts. Nice roundup.

Ronnie Brewer is not officially starting at the shooting guard spot just yet.

Whether Brewer does so as the starting shooting guard remains to be seen. Coach Tom Thibodeau, in a mild surprise, declared that position "up for grabs" after practice. Kyle Korver and Keith Bogans also are in the mix.

Link

Speaking of Brewer, he's nursing a tweaked hamstring

"If you don't like going into camp having to compete, you don't like playing basketball," said Brewer, who has been limited with a tweaked hamstring. "We all take it in stride."

Let's just hope it's not the same hamstring that bothered him last season

KC also has a nice little write up on Omer Asik

The part of the story that stick out is a particular Noah quote

"He's going to get to the line a lot. You see him in here every day getting in extra work. He plays very hard. That's what we need."

Shooting 37% from the line, let's hope that isn't the case.

Thibs compares Joakim's energy to KG

"His motor is great; it's very similar to Kevin Garnett," Thibodeau said. "It's high-energy. I never see him low-energy. It doesn't matter if it's the start of practice or the end of a three-hour practice. He's always in motion.

And last . . .

Thibodeau expressed displeasure with the end of Wednesday's morning session, calling it "a little loose."

The days of VDN are long gone.

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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Sep 30, 2010

Bulls to celebrate 20th anniversary of first title

By K.C. Johnson

The Bulls announced Thursday that this season will feature several nods to the 20th anniversary of the franchise's first NBA championship.

The biggest feature will come during the March 12 home game against the Utah Jazz, when Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, John Paxson, Stacey King and others are scheduled to attend a halftime celebration.

In addition, this season's uniforms will feature a 20th anniversary logo in the upper right-hand corner.

"Of all my six championships, the first one is the one I treasure the most," team ambassador Scottie Pippen said in a statement.

Pippen made similar comments during an interview at his Hall of Fame induction in August.

"I look forward to getting together with former teammates on March 12 to relive those great memories," Pippen said in the release.

The 1990-91 team went 61-21 and beat the Lakers in five games for the first of six Bulls' titles in eight seasons.

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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Sep 30, 2010

Bulls' Brewer misses practice with sore hamstring

By K.C. Johnson

Ronnie Brewer sat out the Bulls' Thursday practice with a sore right hamstring, which has limited the free-agent signee all training camp thus far.

"Ronnie has a slight hamstring stain but each day he's getting better and doing a little more," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He hasn't done any of the contact yet but he's coming along fine. It's not the same injury (as last season). It's just a little soreness. We're moving him along."

Brewer partially tore his right hamstring last Feb. 19, limiting his stint with the Grizzlies after being traded by the Jazz to just five games.

"He had a really good month of September where he moved fine," Thibodeau said. "So it's more precautionary at this point."

Thibodeau cancelled the scheduled night practice session after saying the Bulls accomplished all he wanted them to during the three-hour-plus morning session.
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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Sep 30, 2010

Reinsdorf's son weighs in on Bulls' vision

By K.C. Johnson

Michael Reinsdorf has been around the Bulls' organization most of his life and has added professional responsibilities steadily since 2001. He has attended league meetings as an alternate governor and accompanied the team on select road trips last season for business purposes. (He has extensive ownership experience in minor-league sports, as well as consulting on sports and entertainment facilities.)

His Bulls' role became more official earlier this month, when his father, Jerry, named him President and chief operating officer. In his first public comments since taking on those titles, Reinsdorf talked about his vision for the business side of the franchise and detailed his fandom in a wide-ranging interview with several reporters.

Here's an edited transcript:

How do you feel about the position?

I think it's exciting for me because it gives a definitive title for what I'm doing. I've been involved a lot with what's been going on with the organization the last couple of years but with no definitive role. I've been going to the NBA league meetings as an alternate NBA governor, but it was up in the air as far as my role. Now, my role is clear, to make sure the organization continues to be successful.

Some people read it as a succession plan for whenever Jerry decides to step aside. What's your take on that?

I say this time and time again: I refuse to talk about any succession plan. He's my Father. I don't want him to slow down at all. I want him to continue to be involved every day. The nicest thing about this situation is I get to work on a daily basis with my Father.

For obvious reasons, Jerry isn't able to be here on a daily basis. Will you be?

My role is strictly on the business side. Business operations reports to me. But everything here at the Berto Center, that reports up to my Father.

What's the biggest difference between you and him?

The big difference is I'll probably be more hands-on. I like to dig in a little bit. He's more top-level looking down from 20,000 feet. As President of the team, it's really my responsibility to be involved on a day-to-day basis with the team.

Do you smoke cigars?

No, I don't smoke cigars. (laughs) My kids wouldn't let me.

Obviously, you grew up in this organization but you have outside experience as well. What are some things you might take away from those that you might bring in?

Well, I've been involved with minor-league sports for the last five or six years. The nice thing about minor-league sports is you're allowed to get very close to your fans. I don't see why that should be any different at the big-league level. We're going to try to connect to our fans. Everyone should understand that, yes, it's about winning. But sometimes you can't win every game. We're going to make sure the fans continue to have a great time and love coming to the games. And if they're not coming to the games, watching them on TV. If they're not watching them on TV, checking them out on the Internet. We understand it's a different world now. We're going to really reach out to our fans.

You say you're going to be hands-on. Are you going to be a visible presence at games?

I don't know how many games I've gone to over the years. The only difference now is when a player misses a free throw, I won't be able to kick anything. (laughs) I'll have to be calm. I'm going to be around. I'm officing at the United Center. I'm there on a daily basis. I'll be at most of the games unless there's something to do with the family. My family will always come first.
You've obviously worked with (executive vice president-business operations) Steve (Schanwald) for a number of years. How will your relationship change at all with him in this new role?

I guess the only way it's going to change is Steve is reporting to me and I'm reporting to my Father. I've known Steve since he worked for the White Sox in 1982. Obviously, it's a little different relationship. I have great respect for everything Steve's done over the years. He's done a great job of building a great staff. We have great directors. It's not like the Bulls are broke; that's for sure. It's an easier situation than people in other situations similar to me.

It's such a worldwide brand that you're President of. Is that a luxury or something you can become complacent with?

I'm certainly not going to allow myself to be complacent about it. We have a great brand and obviously that's because of Michael Jordan. The Bulls' brand has developed. But we're looking towards the future. Michael's last championship was 1998. We don't want to rest on what happened in the past. We want to continue to grow and not sit back on our laurels.

What are ways to grow revenues with ticket prices already high?

The United Center ranks up there with the Staples Center as the most unique building in the United States as far as arenas. We're always adding to the building. Last year, we opened our theatre boxes. We converted a bunch of suites that were 12- to 16-person seats. And those theatre boxes are for four people and they're all-inclusive with dining room and own table. The United Center opened the Harris Club. There's always room to re-invent yourself. We don't always have to be the first. We just have to adjust. When we built the United Center, we based it off the Palace of Auburn Hills. Now, these new facilities are being built and we pick up new ideas.

How old were you when your father built the White Sox?

I was 14. That was incredible. I was the first White Sox fan in the family. When I grew up in Highland Park, there were two White Sox fans and I was one of them. I lived and died with the White Sox in the 1970s and 1977 was an incredible year. I remember making my dad take me to see Minnie Minoso play when he played a couple of games. So I was a huge Sox fan so when his group bought the Sox it was the most incredible experience. I'll never forget it. I know what it's like to be a fan.

Did you get to hang around a lot?

Yeah, I used to shag balls in the field. To me, the best part was hanging out with managers and the scouts and the general managers. I used to hang out with Tony La Russa. I've never been close with any players. That's really not what I'm about. I don't even have a Michael Jordan autograph. To me, the exciting thing is just being around it and hearing stories and getting to watch the games and unfortunately seeing some losses. Overall, it's been an incredible experience.

What are your memories of the Bulls?

I never missed a home game. My buddies and I used to get to home games at 5:30. We used to set up shop and watch them warm up. We were there for hours and hours. It was just a fun experience. Basketball is probably the most exciting sport in the world. I know soccer is more popular. But basketball isn't far behind. The NBA is a great league and the Bulls have been a big part of that.

Are you excited about the potential of this team?

This has to be the best team we've had since the championship days. It was exciting today watching practice. They were working hard. It was intense. We're going to be very, very prepared.

What made you a White Sox fan?

We moved from Deerfield to Highland Park and my best friend was a White Sox fan. It was before I even liked sports. He introduced me to baseball.

Why did you get involved in minor-league sports?

Being involved gave me the opportunity on a smaller scale to help grow an organization and understand how important the fans are. In minor-league sports, it's not just about the wins and losses. It's about what kind of experience did the fans have when they came to the arena. By being involved in it so closely, it allowed me to spend time with fans and understand what they like and don't like. If they have a problem with parking or food, I could connect with the fans. Unfortunately I think sometimes on the big-league level, you can lose touch. When you're talking about 14,000 or 15,000 season-ticket holders and 20,000 people come to the building, it's hard to reach out to every single person. But there's no reason you can't reach out to as many people as possible. And you shouldn't back away from that responsibility because of the size of the arena.

What are you like at Bulls games?

I'm crazy. I'm into it. I think it scares my family sometimes when they see how much I'm into it. I also understand at the end of the day it's a game. But everyone's involved in sports because you love sports and you want to win. If you don't want to win, you shouldn't be involved.

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RSS: Blog a Bull · Oct 1, 2010

Training camp links to ease into the weekend: end of scrap, talk from Deng, Thomas, B

First and most important, this bullet from Mike McGraw delights me to no end:

The era of the scrappy, undersized Bulls is officially over.

McGraw mostly means this as a function of size (big at SG, big-man depth) but it's also one of raised talent. Nothing wrong with professing the virtues of working hard and precisely executing, of course, but it's a better situation to have the ability to overcome the inevitable lapses on those fronts.

Your training camp Q&As of the day.: ChicagoNow in the media scrum with Luol Deng, and Examiner.com with Kurt Thomas and Keith Bogans. Those latter two links courtesy of new Bulls blog The Chicago Bulls Insight.

And finally, while they may no longer be scrappy, WSCR's Dan Bernstein puts out the theory that they may be the sentimental challenger to Miami, combining quality and big-market appeal. I wouldn't be easy to dismiss Orlando in that role just because they're in Orlando, but the Bulls could be right up there. Not that it makes one feel much better if they lost.

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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Oct 3, 2010

Bulls' Boozer to miss 8 weeks with fractured hand

Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer at Media Day. (Phil Velasquez / Tribune)

By K.C. Johnson

The Bulls announced Sunday that Carlos Boozer will miss eight weeks with a fractured right hand.

The team said Boozer suffered the injury on Saturday, a day off for the Bulls. The fracture of the fifth metacarpal will require surgery.

If Boozer misses all eight weeks, he will return following the Bulls' annual November trip on November 27. That would mean 15 missed games for the Bulls' biggest offseason acquisition.

Photo gallery: Carlos Boozer in action

Boozer missed 138 of 492 games (28 percent) during six season in Utah. Asked about his tendency to suffer injuries during his introductory news conference, Boozer said his injuries have been unrelated and non-chronic and bad luck.

This is more of the same.

Taj Gibson will return to his starting role at power forward in Boozer's absence.

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RSS: Blog a Bull · Oct 3, 2010

Boozer out eight weeks with fractured hand

Boozer out eight weeks with fractured hand

[From the fanshots. I'm lucky I didn't break my own hand out of frustration after reading that. -ed.]

Yikes. Can you say buzzkill?

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RSS: Chicago Breaking Sports · Oct 3, 2010

Bulls, Noah near multi-year contract extension

Joakim Noah is pumped. (Chris Sweda / Tribune)

By K.C. Johnson

The Bulls and Joakim Noah are on the verge of a multi-year contract extension, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

One source said an announcement could come "in the next couple of days." Asked about the state of negotiations following Sunday's morning practice, Noah smiled but declined to comment.

The exact amount of the extension is unknown but believed to be in the $11 million range annually. Incentives can take the deal higher, and a source said the inclusion of these incentives represented the breakthrough in negotiations.

Photo gallery: Bulls' Joakim Noah in actionSources said earlier published reports portraying the negotiations as acrimonious or far apart were overblown. The Tribune reported in June that the Bulls would make re-signing Noah to an extension a major priority.

Noah all along sought security because a new collective bargaining agreement will be negotiated to begin after this season and length and amount of contracts will be addressed.

Noah has fully recovered from the plantar fasciitis that plagued him down the stretch of last season, when he averaged 10.7 points and 11 rebounds in 64 games. The fourth-year big man increased those averages to 14.8 points and 13 rebounds during the playoff series with the Cavaliers.

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RSS: Blog a Bull · Oct 3, 2010

Bulls reach contract agreement w/ Noah

Bulls reach contract agreement w/ Noah

[From the FanShots. Yay! Credit to the Bulls for getting this done. If the timing was to take some sting out of the Boozer news, it worked. -ed.]

5 years, ~$60 million, per Sam. Some much needed good news after the Boozer ordeal. Seems like a fair price to me.

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