QUOTE
For starters, coach Scott Skiles wanted to see a lot better effort from Tyrus Thomas in the Bulls' preseason-opening 93-88 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
''He and I spent a fair amount of time looking at his scrimmage,'' Skiles said of the video review from the session Sunday at the United Center. ''Basically, he made a couple of explosive plays, and the rest of the time he just stood around flat-footed, and looked out of gas. He knows staying focused every possession, staying in the plays, that's still a part of his game he needs a lot of work on. So it's an important exhibition season for him.''
Skiles started Thomas at power forward, the one spot that is up for grabs this training camp.
''We're looking for a starter and he gets first crack at it,'' Skiles said of Thomas, who will be battling Joe Smith, Joakim Noah, and Andres Nocioni for the opening. ''He was OK; his second half was better than the first. He's still learning. I know the ability that Tyrus has.''
Thomas knows Skiles is trying to get that ability to show itself more consistently.
''I don't think they're riding me,'' Thomas said. ''They see a lot in me. They told me I'm doing a great job right now in camp, but it's still not to my potential. So I just think they're trying to do all they can to get me to maximize my potential right now. I take it as motivation and I just look at is as they're concerned about me right now and they want to see the best of me.
''So I actually appreciate it. Because I don't think they would demand out of me more than what they think I can do. And the more they demand, I feel the better I can be.''
As for grabbing a role in the first five, Thomas (eight points, five rebounds, three fouls, three turnovers, two steals and a block in 21 minutes, 24 seconds Tuesday), is not making it a priority.
''I don't put a lot of emphasis on starting,'' he said. ''Right now my main focus is trying to come out and do what we're working on in practice and do what's going to help my team win and help me get more minutes.''
''He and I spent a fair amount of time looking at his scrimmage,'' Skiles said of the video review from the session Sunday at the United Center. ''Basically, he made a couple of explosive plays, and the rest of the time he just stood around flat-footed, and looked out of gas. He knows staying focused every possession, staying in the plays, that's still a part of his game he needs a lot of work on. So it's an important exhibition season for him.''
Skiles started Thomas at power forward, the one spot that is up for grabs this training camp.
''We're looking for a starter and he gets first crack at it,'' Skiles said of Thomas, who will be battling Joe Smith, Joakim Noah, and Andres Nocioni for the opening. ''He was OK; his second half was better than the first. He's still learning. I know the ability that Tyrus has.''
Thomas knows Skiles is trying to get that ability to show itself more consistently.
''I don't think they're riding me,'' Thomas said. ''They see a lot in me. They told me I'm doing a great job right now in camp, but it's still not to my potential. So I just think they're trying to do all they can to get me to maximize my potential right now. I take it as motivation and I just look at is as they're concerned about me right now and they want to see the best of me.
''So I actually appreciate it. Because I don't think they would demand out of me more than what they think I can do. And the more they demand, I feel the better I can be.''
As for grabbing a role in the first five, Thomas (eight points, five rebounds, three fouls, three turnovers, two steals and a block in 21 minutes, 24 seconds Tuesday), is not making it a priority.
''I don't put a lot of emphasis on starting,'' he said. ''Right now my main focus is trying to come out and do what we're working on in practice and do what's going to help my team win and help me get more minutes.''