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If Aaron Gray is starting this team is in big goddamned trouble

By your friendly BullsBlogger

Thanks a lot Skiles, all the web aggregators of the world will now have a 'Aaron Gray to start for Bulls?' headline that will make the team look like a joke. (I suppose I'm not helping)

"We liked what happened at the beginning of the game the other night, We thought Ben Wallace and Aaron played well together. Ben is a good passer. And he found Aaron once the other night. Ben also knows our offense well.

We have to decide, balancing both units, do we want a couple of defensive players in the starting lineup or do we want more offense. Aaron has shown--and I think he will in the regular season--that he can score. Do we want to use that to start a game? It's something we have to think about."

No, you don't have to think about it. Not really.

 Then again I missed the last preseason game so maybe Aaron Gray was George Mikan out there. And I mean the prime Mikan, I had previously thought he more resembled the current (dead) version.  I guess I'll have to pay more attention Tuesday night. But that Indiana game had no Deng or Gordon, so I suppose that may be a case where you'd want more offense in the starting lineup. But even then there's Nocioni, 'cause this team was supposedly deep in the frontcourt with options like that.

I'm glad KC Johnson included this about the Pacers game:

Despite fouling out against the Pacers, most infractions coming from poor or slow defensive rotations

"The mobility issue, in my mind, is much less a factor even than it was in the summer," Skiles said. "He's definitely picked up how we want him to move and where we want him to move to. And because his hands are so good and he's got a soft touch and his size, it makes up for those issues. It's just an experience thing. During the season, you're going to see the quick guards come off pick-and-rolls and attack him. The question is can he move his feet and stay in the game."

I'm sure the regular season games will go much slower for him.

I can't take this slow-start-while-Skiles-figures-out-what-he-has nonsense again. Just wait until Gordon has a few turnovers this week and there will be rumblings that Chris Duhon 'may get a look' in the starting lineup.

Remember when we were worried about finding minutes in a crowded and talented frontcourt for Noah, Thomas, Nocioni, and Smith? A few good stints with non-regular lineups and against non-regular opposition and it changes all that?

Eh, I'm guessing this is all Skiles mind-games to get Noah and Thomas sweating. And Joe Smith to practice more. And to drive me crazy.