Had a quick chat with Sam Mitchell yesterday and he says things are progressing just fine at the informal workouts over at the ACC and there’s a big crowd in already.
Some scrimmages, some shooting drills, some defensive drills, some conditioning work are all part of a routine day for the six or seven guys who are already here.
And he says Jermaine O’Neal’s expected in Saturday, Bosh and Calderon and their Olympic medals arrive Sunday and next week should be a de-facto extra week of training camp.
Of course, I’m not surprised he said he’s happy with the way things are going – the next time a coach starts killing his players this early will be the first time – but there did seem to be a greater sense of optimism in the conversation than I can remember in any other September.
If, as we all expect, they go with an eight- or nine-man rotation most nights – the variable being foul trouble and injuries, of course – there won’t be any time, let alone extended minutes, when there are five backups on the court at the same time.
And even if there were – and I presume it’ll happen every now and then when one of the bigs gets into early foul trouble – someone will always find a way to score. Or, for that matter, make defensive plays. It might be Moon and Bargnani one night, it might be Hump (when he plays) and Ukic or Solomon another night.
It’s a worry that people shouldn’t worry about.
The Central Division matches the Atlantic Division in legit Eastern Conference championship contenders, but while the Bucks, Bulls and Pacers have their problems, they shouldn’t be nearly as bad as the Nets and Knicks. And even though the Raptors are a bona-fide playoff team, they don’t have the toughness to get out of the first round anyway.
Myth: Chris Bosh isn’t tough.
Truth: In a physical sense, no, Bosh isn’t that tough. He may be 16 pounds heavier than the day his rookie year ended (up 34 from Draft Day ‘03), but Bosh has had a difficult time shaking the soft label, the lack of toughness label, and the Stephen A-inflicted Bol-build label. There are traces in his game that suggest soft – his perimeter preferences; a fondness of shooting from the elbow more than the low block; his low-ish boarding totals. It’s probably something he won’t shake easily, if at all.
Q. What made you decide to return to the market?
A. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Toronto. The city is tremendous, and the Canadian people are wonderful. But family considerations, the Bulls’ worldwide brand, along with my love for Chicago were overriding reasons to return.
Chicago is a great sports city. That’s not just hype. That is a fact.
Related posts:
Leave a comment