Get ready to see Gooden plenty

Денг Гордон · Oct 5, 2008

In a contract year, these are the words any player wants to hear.

"He's going to be used a lot," Vinny Del Negro said.

The Bulls' coach was referring to Drew Gooden, who, other than journeyman Michael Ruffin, is the only veteran frontcourt player at training camp. But Gooden, entering the final year of a three-year, $23 million contract he signed with Cleveland, insists he is focused on nothing but winning.

"Nah, nah, nah, I'm not thinking about my contract," Gooden said. "I've been in this position before, and I put too much pressure on myself that time. This time I know if I play my [butt] off, things will take care of themselves.

"I'm comfortable, no added pressure. Sometimes I even forget about it."

"I wanted to show people I could still play," Gooden, 27, said. "I think people kind of forgot about that during my years in Cleveland. They thought I was just a guy who could hustle and dive on the floor for loose balls, which I will still do. But I still have a little offense in my tank."

"If it works out that way, so be it," Gooden said. "But my main thing since we're young is focusing on winning. When you're young, you can be fragile. But we have a lot of young guys who have talent and compete. We can surprise."
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-06-bulls-drew-gooden-chicagooct06,0,3638137.story

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Get ready to see Gooden plenty

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