MINNEAPOLIS -- Ronnie Brewer spent so many hours working on his jumper over the summer that he lost count.

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Greg Smith/US PresswireRonnie Brewer's improvement on the offensive end has been a key with Rip Hamilton missing time due to an elbow injury.

"During the summer, all you have is time," he said after Tuesday night's 111-100 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. "I had a routine where I lifted weights, I tried to stretch. I tried to get my hamstrings strong so I was doing a lot of physical therapy. Then there were times where you had to work on your free throws. I hadn't been shooting the ball that well from there, which I've been trying to improve. Mid range jump shots and then three point [shots]. It was a consistent routine that I tried to maintain at the University of Arkansas. So far it's been paying off for me."

It paid off again on for Brewer on Tuesday night as he scored 17 points and continued his hot shooting. To put it in some kind of perspective, Brewer is 7-for-11 from beyond the arc. Last season Brewer made just six 3-pointers on 27 attempts. The improvement in his shooting has definitely caught Tom Thibodeau's eye, but it's the improvement in other areas that he is almost as pleased with.

"It's not only his jumper," Thibodeau said. "I really like what he's doing in the pick and roll. His playmaking, he's doing a lot of good things. Running the floor. He's great moving without the ball. And his defense his very strong, and his ability to guard more than one position."

Brewer takes pride in that improvement.

He has said and done all the right things since the Bulls signed Rip Hamilton before the season, but there's no doubt he was frustrated with the decision. Instead of sulking, Brewer continued to work on his game. That's why he's always one of the last players taking jumpers on the floor at the Berto Center.

"That's part of being a professional," he said. "We were in a lockout, you didn't want to be one of those guys who was out of shape, who wasn't ready to play. I stayed in shape, I continued to work on my shot and before the lockout started I talked with Thibs and one of the things he told me and [would] allow me to play and play more, he knew what I could do on the defensive end, he knew I could slash, he knew I could get to the basket, but extend my range.

"Knock down the two point shot, and then consistently knock down the three point shot, so that's what I try to do. And in the first few weeks, I've been shooting the ball OK. My teammates have been finding me. I had a few games where I didn't shoot the ball that well, [but] my guys have stayed behind me and told me to continue to shoot the ball with confidence. And that's what we try to do."