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ATLANTA -- Jeff Van Gundy isn't the only member of his family who thinks the Chicago Bulls handled the end of the Vinny Del Negro era poorly.

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy does not believe the recently fired Del Negro was given the proper backing from the Bulls front office, and Stan doesn't think Jeff will return to the coaching ranks next season for the Bulls or any other team.

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Greetings from the Berto Center. Here are a few quick notes from the last day of media access with the players for the foreseeable future as they had their final exit interviews with Chicago Bullsgeneral manager Gar Forman and executive vice president John Paxson.

James Johnson has been asked by management to participate on the Bulls summer league team. He said he plans to play.

Taj Gibson is expected to have Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy performed in a few days to help with his plantar fasciitis problems. It's the same procedure that Bulls center Joakim Noah endured earlier in the season. Blood will be taken from his arm and put into his foot. The 24-year old rookie has been dealing with the plantar fasciitis issues for almost a year now.

Noah still isn't sure if he will play for the French National team this summer, but he knows that he will enjoy his time off from basketball for a few weeks. Don't be surprised if you see him at the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Kirk Hinrich isn't sure who will sign with the Bulls this offseason and said, "I'm not going to get excited until something happens."

Luol Deng reiterated how much faith he has in Forman and Paxson to make the right choice as it pertains to possible free agents. He is convinced the duo with find the right player who will help the Bulls get over the proverbial hump.

Derrick Rose missed his exit interview so that he could attend his uncle's funeral.

When asked, each player threw their support behind embattled head coach Vinny Del Negro. However, when pressed, not one player seemed to push hard for Del Negro's return.

Brad Miller would like to return to Chicago and knows he will have to take a pay cut in order to do so. He says that the Bulls are on a "short list" of teams he'd like to play for. He also said he would like to play two or three more years.

MEMPHIS -- At least once a week, somebody will ask me some variation of this question: How does Derrick Rose's game compare to John Wall's?

I decided to ask the Bulls 21-year-old point guard the same question Tuesday morning about the freshman point guard from the University of Kentucky.

"Wow," he said after a pause. "My game to John Wall's ... I really don't know. I haven't watched him really enough to look at his game like that or say anything about his game. All I know is that he is a great player. And they're playing good basketball right now, so I can't say anything about him.

Rose does know that John Calipari, his former coach at Memphis, and Wall's current coach at Kentucky, is getting ready for March Madness in his own special way.

"Coach Cal always flips out," Rose said. "It could be tournament play, practice, whatever. He's always yelling, always going crazy. That's Cal. If he's not doing that you know something's wrong."

Just two years ago Rose was in Wall's shoes, leading a Calipari-coached squad into the tournament. As he looks back now, the Bulls' star says he has fond memories of the tournament.

"Just being around my teammates," he said. "Just being around them all the time. Definitely knowing how it is up [in the NBA] now, where you rarely see your teammates and hang out with them. Up here it's different. But, in college you're always with them. Always."

While Rose is disappointed that his Tigers didn't make the NCAA Tournament, he has already made it clear that he believes Calipari's Wildcats, led by Wall, are the team to beat. What's also clear is that Rose has an affinity for Memphis and the people around Tennessee and that's why it's even harder for him to have to sit out Tuesday night's game because of a sprained wrist.

"I know the fans they love me here," he said. "I love them here. This will be the last time I'll be here, we only come here once a year. For me not to play here this year it hurts a little bit ... I've been waiting on this, but I guess I got to wait ‘til next year."

MEMPHIS -- While you ponder a world in which the Bulls starting lineup on Tuesday night may include Jannero Pargo, Flip Murray, James Johnson, Taj Gibson and Brad Miller, let's take a look back at some of the more interesting tidbits of the last few days:

The fact that the Bulls are struggling terribly right now and have lost seven in a row shouldn't come as that much of a surprise when you consider the quality of the teams they've been playing and the fact that they have been eaten alive by the injury bug. Derrick Rose has been out since getting crunched by Dwight Howard (again) last Thursday, and it sure didn't sound as if the organization wanted him to rush back to the court in the next couple of days when he spoke after practice on Monday.

Luol Deng (calf strain) has been out for about a week now and since he didn't practice, the guess is that he is at least a few more days from coming back. Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) is actually starting to run a little bit more, but he's at least another week away and probably more. Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro admitted that it was going to take a while before his young center got back into the type of condition that he needed. At least Kirk Hinrich (suspension) will be able to play once again on Wednesday in Dallas.

Florida Funk: The Bulls trip to Florida couldn't have come at a much worse time. According to the ESPN Stats and Analysis team, the Bulls have now lost five straight to both the Magic and the Heat. Since the 1999-2000 season, the Bulls are 6-14 against the Magic in Orlando and 4-17 against the Heat in Miami. Yikes.

Why is that back-to-back always so tough?

"Because of Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro told me last week. "Orlando's loaded. And you're playing good teams. Road games are difficult. They’re just hard going down to Orlando and Miami, especially when it's a back-to-back."

Gibson feeling the heat: Gibson has been dealing with his own case of plantar fasciitis throughout most of the season and it's becoming a common scene to see him soaking his feet in a big vat of ice after the game. At this point, the Bulls simply can't afford to lose anyone else; especially Gibson, who has provided the team with consistent defense and rebounding throughout most of the season.

"On to the next one, that's what I'm feeling," he told me after the loss to the Magic last Thursday night. "We got to steal one. We got to get one coming up. Once we get that one, that will get guys going. Get guys motivation up. Get guys spirits up. In this league it's tough. When you go down the road and you've had a couple losses it's kind of tough to get that one win. We just need to [come] together and get that one win."

Just one night later, Gibson was as angry after a game as I've seen him all year. Obviously, he was upset at how badly the team is struggling, but he was especially perturbed because of a play Dwyane Wade and the Heat made against him during the third quarter. He felt he was hit long after the whistle.

“It was a dirty play," the rookie said. "Dwyane and a couple other guys undercut me. I was just [mad] because the referee saw it, and he just asked me, 'Are you OK?' I was like, 'Am I OK?' I was just [angry]. I just learned how to control my anger because I’m a rookie. I'm not going to explode on anybody at that time. I felt like exploding at them because that was a dangerous play. The play was over for at least a minute, minute and a half. He just ran up on me."

Miller gets mad: Speaking of anger and frustration, veteran center Miller was as candid as he's been all season while discussing the questionable flagrant call that was levied against him late in Friday's game against the Heat. The same one that sparked Hinrich blowup/suspension.

"I'd say questionable doesn't describe [how I feel about the call]," Miller said. "Obviously, I led the league in flagrant fouls with Ron Artest back in the day. I know what their definition of one [is]. Apparently, from the playoffs last year, they vary [from] person to person and situation. I was up against the odds in that scenario for sure.

While Miller was very careful with his words, it was easy to read between the lines and see how frustrated he was that Wade received a favorable call in that situation.

"I was just standing there with my damn arm up," he said. "He comes in like he always does, and I just don't fall down. That's the joy of certain people against certain people."

Rose shows heart: If you're looking for a Bulls bright spot over the past few weeks, it would be hard to find on the court. Off the floor is a different story, though. Before the team got to Orlando last week, the organization received a letter from a 13-year-old Kissimmee, Fla., boy who credits Rose with saving his life. Isaiah Walter was injured in a dirt bike accident last summer and used a picture of Rose that his father taped to the ceiling of his hospital room as motivation to get better. He told Rose that each time he looked at the picture he would dream about getting better and becoming an NBA player. Walter has recovered since the accident and is currently playing for his middle school team; a recovery that has been much faster than doctors expected.

To Rose's credit, he read the letter and agreed to meet Walter before the Bulls game in Orlando. You could see the joy in the boy's face, (his family's as well) as Rose shot around with him on the floor and took him back into the locker to meet all his teammates. Rose even took the time to introduce Walter to members of the media. A kind gesture, indeed. During an otherwise brutal stretch for the Bulls, this kind of gesture puts things in perspective for the players. Good for Rose to take the time and make a memory that one kid surely will not forget for the rest of his life.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest, who sported a Dennis Rodman-like yellow hair style on Sunday against the Orlando Magic, said he doesn't mind the comparison.

In fact, Artest, who like Rodman is a former Chicago Bulls forward, said he's a long-time Rodman fan.

"You can't compare me to a man with five rings," Artest said Monday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "But I've never shied away from that Dennis Rodman question.

"I'm a big Dennis Rodman fan. I've been a Dennis Rodman fan since he was in the NBA, even when he was in the midst of his controversies and when he was winning championships. I've been with Dennis Rodman through bad and good. That's never going to change. Ever."

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Listen to Artest on "Waddle & Silvy"

ESPN Chicago Bulls writer Nick Friedell took your questions during a live chat on Thursday. Check out the chat wrap here.

When I walked into the Rookie/Sophomore practice last weekend in Dallas, I couldn't find Taj Gibson.

It seemed like every other rookie or sophomore had at least a few reporters in front of him. Jonny Flynn and Tyreke Evans were among many of the guys I passed who were standing in front of a small horde of vide0 cameras and recorders.

A few minutes passed by and I started to get nervous. Had I missed him?

Finally, as I hurriedly shuffled around the court, I noticed him sitting at the end of the bench. There was just one reporter standing in front of him with a flip cam -- asking him questions about his days at USC.

In many ways, this scene exemplified Gibson's short career up to this point. Coming out of USC, the 24-year-old forward was an afterthought to most. As the 26th pick in last year's draft, it was clear that numerous teams didn’t value his particular skill set as much as others. Heck, even the Bulls passed over him once, considering they took Wake Forest product James Johnson with the 16th pick last year.

While Gibson's game isn't always exciting to watch and he may not be as flashy as some of the other rookies, you'd be hard-pressed to find many rookies who are as important to their team as he is. Gibson proved that once again on Saturday night, as he scored 20 points and 13 rebounds in the Bulls 122-90 blowout of the Sixers. The irony is that by continuing to play so steadily throughout the season, the soft-spoken forward has brought even more attention on to himself. Gibson, the same guy who hardly anyone seemed to notice last weekend, had a small horde of press waiting for him at his locker late Saturday night.

When you hear him speak, you can understand how he has found success so quickly in a league that young players usually have a hard time figuring out. His attitude towards the game is reflective to how he plays out on the court.

"Like [Lindsey Hunter] and the rest of the veterans tell me, you're only as good as your last game," Gibson says. "Never get too high, never get too low. Just always try to get better and work on your game. I've just been taking that information and what they've been telling me and just working on my game. I never take any off days. I always go to the Berto [Center] and try to work on something. Try to get better. So far it's been great."

Gibson is averaging eight points and seven rebounds a game and looks to be a fixture in the Bulls lineup for years to come. While Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro didn't come right out and say it, both he and the organization have to be a little surprised with how well the rookie is playing.

"He works," Del Negro said. "He's such a great kid. He's very coachable. He wants to learn. He's always working. Taj has got great activity on the defensive end and offensively he was moving around the basket and he's long. He's longer than you think."

Obviously, he's a lot more talented than people thought as well.

Don't expect all the accolades to get to Gibson's head though. Gibson doesn't just play like a veteran -- he sounds like one too. He knows that he and his teammates can still improve a lot more.

"We've been having fun. It's just us keeping it consistent. Knowing when to be serious and knowing that we're in a playoff hunt right now. It's the second half [of the season] and guys are really trying to get things together. Like Joakim [Noah] told me: The first half is over. We had a decent first half. We're in the mix. Now it's time to bring it home and make a run for the playoffs."

That run to the playoffs suddenly looks a lot brighter than it did a few weeks ago.

If Gibson continues to play like he has been lately, the days of him sitting at the end of the bench by himself -- without any fanfare -- will be long gone as well.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Here is the full transcript of the conversation I had with Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro on Thursday night after the trade deadline passed. While he didn't come right out and say it, it's clear that he and the organization are confident that they will be able to land one of the big-name free agents this summer. It's also clear that the second-year head coach hasn't given up on this season just yet.

Nick Friedell: How would you sum up what you guys did today?
Vinny Del Negro: Well, I think it works out. You never want to lose players, but I feel we've added some quality players and we've kept and built and expanded our flexibility for this summer. But our focus is this season right now. And we'll handle the rest of that business after this season. You hate to lose quality players, but I feel in our situation, it was the right moves to make. I know Gar [Foreman] and [John Paxson] and the staff worked very hard on it, and I want to see how guys are going to fit in. But I feel comfortable where we're at and now it's a matter of getting the new guys accustomed to how we run things around here and what's expected. And it's going to take a little time, but I expect it to be a smooth transition and get them acclimated to everything as soon as possible.

NF: What do you know about Hakim Warrick, Acie Law and Flip Murray?:

VDN: Warrick and Murray -- they've played and contributed on teams and they've been around and [I'm] much more familiar with them. Alexander and Law are young players just getting their feet wet in the league. Warrick and Murray, I expect to get them underway here and get them in the rotation as soon as possible and see how it comes together and get them comfortable defensively with terminology and things we expect. Same thing offensively. Play the right way, share the basketball. Both of them have been quality pros and are still, especially Hakim, is still very young and has room for improvement and we want to help him in as many areas as we can. Same thing with Flip. He's a shooter; he's a scorer. He can make shots. With Derrick [Rose's] ability to open the court up, hopefully he'll knock some big shots down for us like he's done with other teams.

NF: To someone who says the organization has given up on this year, you would say what?

VDN: That's false. That would never happen. It's not what myself, the staff, the organization and what the fans expect. The Chicago Bulls are one of the premier franchises ... Giving up or anything is not even mentioned. I expect us to compete at a very high level. I expect us to win games. I expect us to develop our young players like we are and continue to improve in certain areas and get these [new] guys acclimated and fight as hard as we can to find a way to continually get better and give us an opportunity to make the playoffs again.

We've been playing a little bit better on the road as of late. We have to continually do that and also step our game up a little bit at home. But the fans are tremendous. They've been very supportive. Now it's the players and staff and my responsibility to go out there and represent the fans the right way. You do that by giving it all you have, preparing the right way and finding ways to win games. It's a very simple formula but it's hard to accomplish. There's high expectations in Chicago, but people should feel good about the core we kept together, the nucleus we kept together and the ability to advance and get more flexibility in a very important summer as we continually try to improve the team moving forward.

NF: Did you get a chance to talk to Tyrus Thomas before the deal went down?

VDN: No, I haven't had a chance to talk to Tyrus. He was busy with some things. I left some messages for him. I haven't got up with him yet, but I will. The same with John. I talked to John [Wednesday] night. It's never an easy situation. They're good people. They've been very helpful, obviously, in the way they represented the Bulls. You never want to lose good players, but it's a business and it's part of it. And hopefully things work out for them in a positive way.

NF: Do you think Tyrus will ever be able to figure it out?

VDN: The thing with Tyrus is he's very young. He's 24 years old. He's been in the league a while, but he's still young. And he's got to find his way. And long as he finds ways to work and continues to be coachable and continue to work in certain areas and gets better and puts in the time -- he has such great athletic ability. And has the ability to change the complexion on games with his athletic ability.

As he has different coaches or learns different things and grows as a player and as a person, he's a game-changing type of player at times. Hopefully, that consistency will come out as he finds his game a little bit more.

NF: As a coach, how difficult is it to balance trying to win games now while also knowing that the organization is trying to free up cap space for the future?

VDN: It's difficult. It is difficult. But like I've always said, if this was easy, anybody could do it. It's a challenge and I enjoy the challenge, but I'm pleased we kept our nucleus of guys together. And we added a couple guys that have been players in the league. We lost a couple very good players and we added some. We just have to see how it all comes together. There's no easy answers to it. Let's just see how these guys fit in and how they contribute and how it all mixes together and put ourselves in an opportunity on a consistent basis to win basketball games. That's difficult when it happens in the middle of the season, and now you have to try to incorporate some new pieces, but we've done it before. And hopefully this time it will go as smooth as it did last.

NF: Gar Forman came out on Thursday and said, "Vinny's our coach. It's not a story." But, do you wish the organization would come out and say, "Vinny's our coach for the future."? Do you wish they would handle situation some other way?

VDN: All that stuff is out of my control. I don't spend a lot of time with it like I didn't before when it was a much bigger story. I try to prepare and handle the team in a first-class manner [and] help develop the young players [and] find ways to improve individually and as a team. I think my staff has done a phenomenal job with everything that's been thrown at us the last couple of years. And we continue to improve. I can't control what other people do or say. I can just control my attitude and my approach and try to set a good example for a young team and handle the adversity that's thrown at you as a coach and as a team throughout the year in the best possible way and move forward.

I can't worry about what people are saying or what they're not saying or how they're saying it or what's out there. I go about my business and control what I can.

NF: What's a legitimate goal for the end of this year in your eyes?

VDN: Just find a way to continually improve. Find a way to continue to develop these young guys like I always talk about. Continually find ways to improve on the road. I think that's a very, very key component for this young team to build confidence on the road. Road wins are very hard to come by. Hopefully, we'll continue to play well on the road. At home we have a little bit of a different swagger to us, whether it's because we're young or whatever. The fans have great support there and high expectations.

I think we need to set goals in terms of improving. I don't look at wins and losses and how many wins we need or whatever. I expect us to be in contention for a playoff berth. What seed we are I couldn't tell you right now. Everyone's bunched up there. If we play the right way and stay together as a team and incorporate these new players I feel we have an excellent opportunity to go back to the playoffs and then move forward throughout the summer.

NF: Are you confident that with the cap space the team has now, that you guys can convince one of these big-name free agents to come here this summer?

VDN: That will all take care of itself. The first most important thing is getting the space to go and have a game plan together to attract one of the elite players -- whether you get one or not. No one know what's going to happen. That's all getting figured out and everyone will guess and have their opinions, but certain teams have put themselves in a certain position to at least be able to financially afford those type of players. And we're one of them.

So when you have the history of Chicago, the incredible city, the fans, the success of the organization and a great young nucleus of talent, it's got to be a very attractive city for any player. So there's a lot of positives there. All those things will take care of themselves. Everything will be done first-class and professionally to accommodate that this summer, but my focus is not this summer right now. My focus is preparing for the next game and finding ways to help the team get better throughout this season as we move.