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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Carlos Boozer's new-found hair look has become a nationwide question as fans wonder what the Chicago Bulls forward did to change his look.

His teammates have taken notice, but don't look to Ronnie Brewer to critique his teammate.

"I don't know," Brewer said. "I have no comment on that. I don't know. I don't know what's going on."

Boozer appeared to have sprayed on hair during Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics. When pressed by the media, Brewer admitted that he and his teammates shared a laugh about Boozer's new style.

"I'm not all about the jokes," Brewer said. "But I definitely laughed a little bit. But whatever he has to do to make him get going, I guess."

Honor for Thibs?: Brewer hopes Tom Thibodeau earns the right to coach the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Thibodeau, whose Bulls are 23-7, will clinch the honor with one more win.

"I'm having mixed emotions about it," Brewer said with a laugh. "I kind of want him to go, but I know if he goes, when he comes back he's going to be so much [more] eager to get back going. I kind of want him to have a break where he can just relax and chill a little bit. But I think it's a huge honor to be a coach down there and be selected as a player, so I'm all about it."

NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose has said repeatedly that he never wants to leave Chicago. But that doesn't mean he can't enjoy playing in other cities as well. Rose enjoys playing in Madison Square Garden, and he proved that again on Thursday night, scoring 32 points and dishing out 13 assists in the Bulls' 105-102 win over the New York Knicks.

"I love playing here, man," he said. "The crowd really loves basketball. They know basketball. And I just love the energy here. Where they love their team. They talk about you and all that. I love it. I love playing here."

Foul was a mistake: With the Bulls leading by four and under 10 seconds to play, plenty of fans were wondering why Bulls guard Ronnie Brewer decided to foul Carmelo Anthony and send him to the line. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau admitted that his team made an error.

"That was a mistake," Thibodeau said with a laugh. "And again, those are things you'd like to work on in practice. So it was a miscommunication on my part with Ronnie. Up three we would like to use [that strategy]. Up four we want to stay down and not react to a shot fake. And not put ourselves in position where they could have a four point play. So that was on me. That was a miscommunication."

Rose debuts new shoe: Rose wore his "second half" shoe for the first time on Thursday night, a red version of his adizero Rose 2.5 named "Brenda" in honor of Rose's mom.

"You already know my mom means everything to me," Rose said. "And for me to have a shoe in her name I think that it shows a lot about not only adidas, but me going in and telling them what I want done and they end up coming up with a great idea."

The last word: "We always say you've got to find a way. The good teams in this league find different ways to win games," -- Thibodeau.

The Bulls' Ronnie Brewer joined "Waddle & Silvy" to discuss the Pacers' celebration after their victory Wednesday and starting for the injured Luol Deng.



Click here for more podcasts from ESPN Chicago.

CHICAGO -- Score one for the little guys. Well, the pretty big little guys anyway.

The Indiana Pacers, the upstart contender from Nowheresville, didn't quite avenge their playoff defeat to the big, bad Chicago Bulls, but a 95-90 win at the United Center definitely put a little spring in their step.

Don't sleep on the guys from Naptown. They have more than enough size and an improved scoring punch since last season.

Indiana gave the Bulls their first home loss of the season, and first drew blood in a battle between the only two teams in the Central Division that can run and chew gum at the same time.

Sure, it's just the Bulls' fourth loss, but the way coach Tom Thibodeau looked after the game, you'd think Tyler Hansbrough smashed his favorite projector.

Read the entire column.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Ronnie Brewer always wanted to start for the Chicago Bulls.

Ready to replace the injured Luol Deng in the starting lineup when the Bulls play the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Brewer just wants to contribute wherever he can.

"[Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau] prepares you by telling you to come in with the early group and learn every position," Brewer said after Wednesday afternoon's shootaround. "He tried to throw me in the point guard position a few times. [Richard Hamilton's] been out a few times, and now Lu's out. So you got to be ready whenever your name is called. That's what I've been trying to do all season long."

That's why Thibodeau loves Brewer's game so much. Brewer can produce on both ends of the floor, and with his improved range, he can be an even bigger asset for the Bulls than he was last season. But Brewer's flexibility is also a reason Thibodeau's doesn't want to anoint him as the starter as Deng recovers from a torn ligament in his left wrist.

"We'll see," Thibodeau said. "We'll see how it goes. What Ronnie has shown is -- whether he's starting for Rip or starting for Luol, he's started a number of games in this league -- that he can handle starting. He handles coming off the bench. I thought last year him coming off the bench was a great asset. I value greatly what a guy like that can bring coming off the bench. In some ways, I do miss what he brings coming off the bench. But I also like what he does as a starter, so it's a tribute to him and his versatility."

As usual, the easy-going Brewer is willing to help wherever Thibodeau needs him. He knows that it is going to be difficult for the Bulls to make up for the loss of Deng, but he also understands that he has another chance to prove his value.

"It's going to be tough," Brewer said. "Whenever you have a guy of Lu's caliber out, he's one of our leaders vocally and by his play, so he's definitely going to be missed. A lot of different guys are going to have to bring something different if it's on offense, defense, assists. He does a lot of things for this team so somebody's going to have to step up."

Brewer has grown accustomed to that role during his brief tenure with the Bulls. He has started 11 games this season -- including 10 for Hamilton, who was out with a groin injury. But now Brewer will take over at small forward rather than shooting guard. Will it be that much of a difference?

"It's fairly the same position," he said. "Just a little bit bigger guys. Sometimes the twos start lower, the threes start higher and vice versa. Working with Thibs, I've been able to learn the plays at both the positions. It's not going to be any easier playing the three than it is the two. There's a high caliber of players you're going to face every night so you've got to come up and be ready for the test."

Gibson getting better: Taj Gibson participated in the Bulls shootaround on Wednesday as he recovers from a high ankle sprain. He took some shots and appeared to be walking without a noticeable limp as he left the floor. He is still shooting for this weekend as a possible return.

"He's getting there," Thibodeau said. "He's doing a little bit more each day. He said he's feeling better. The swelling is down."

But Thibodeau wouldn't rule him out of Wednesday's game.

"Unlikely," Thibodeau said. "There's always a chance. But unlikely."

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

"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."

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The biggest difference in Ronnie Brewer's game this season isn't just the fact that he finally appears to have a consistent jumper.

It's that for the first time in his brief Chicago Bulls' career, the veteran forward is playing with some sustained confidence. Through five games this season, Brewer is averaging 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists a game. In Sunday night's win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Brewer dropped 17 points while starting in place of an injured Richard Hamilton.

"To me, it's a huge confidence shift," Brewer said after Tuesday morning's shootaround. "Last year, I came in here with a lot of high hopes with an opportunity to try and win a starting job and tweaked [my hamstring] right before working out here. [I] had to try and work my way into shape, learning the plays. It's a different speed.

"Playing with D-Rose and the level of defense [coach Tom Thibodeau] preaches, it kind of takes a little getting used to. This year was a little different. I came in in a lot better shape. Healthy, working on my shot and just been playing with a lot of confidence so far."

The change in confidence can be explained, at least in part, by the fact that Brewer has put in a lot of work on his jumper. It appears the work is paying off at least early, with Brewer hitting 13-of-17 shots over his past three games.

"It's still early," Brewer said. "It's not like I've accomplished so much. I've still got to get better every day. That's why I continue to work with coach [Adrian] Griffin. Jimmy Butler and myself continue to work hard every day to get better. That's what you've got to continue to do in this league, so if I have shots I've got to continue to shoot them with confidence, and if I do that my teammates are going to continue to find me."

While Brewer has always said and done the right things publicly, there's no question he was frustrated by the Bulls' decision to sign Hamilton. But he turned the frustration into motivation and spent even more time working on his game, especially his three point shot. He is 4-for-4 from beyond the arc this season after making just six last season.

That ability to knock down open shots is vital playing with slashers such as Derrick Rose and Luol Deng.

"D. Rose gets a lot of attention. [Carlos Boozer] gets a lot of attention," Brewer said. "And especially [Deng] when he cuts. Whenever they make the pass, you got to knock down the shots with them to keep on dishing the ball. That's all I've been trying to do."

The last word: "Anybody can win a game or lose a game. I don't see anybody going 66-0 this year so when a team loses, you don't be like 'Oh, that's the team to beat.' Because they beat a team like the Miami Heat that's got a lot of talent. So you have to take every opponent seriously. I think Thibs prepares us for that night in and night out. And we just have to be ready for that so they're definitely on our radar." -- Brewer, on if the Atlanta Hawks have even more of the Bulls' attention now given that they beat the Miami Heat on Monday night.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls' 104-64 destruction of the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night was such a laugher that Bulls' head coach Tom Thibodeau, who rarely ever sits down during a game, actually planted himself on the bench. Midway through the third quarter. The difference on Sunday night, as it will be throughout the course of the season for Thibodeau's bunch, is that the Bulls once again proved that they are among the deepest teams in the league.

Rip Hamilton was a late scratch because of a groin injury. No problem. Ronnie Brewer inserted himself in the lineup and dropped 17 points on the Grizzlies, thanks in part to a much improved 3-point shot.

C.J. Watson hurts his elbow early in the fourth quarter. No problem. John Lucas III comes out of nowhere to score eight points in 10 minutes. The Bulls' bench depth was a reoccurring theme throughout last season and one of the biggest reasons the team led the league with 62 regular-season victories. It's also one of the reasons why the Bulls are so confident they can have the same kind of success this year.

"I think we're the deepest team in the NBA," Bulls center Joakim Noah bluntly said after the game. "I think Omer [Asik] has been playing great for us. Taj Gibson, Kyle Korver, all these guys I feel could be starters. I feel like it definitely takes our team to a whole 'nother level when you bring in the second unit and they're very good."

That is the key for the Bulls. They don't just have extra bodies who fill space on the bench throughout the year. They have several players who could easily be starters for other teams throughout the league. It's a luxury that other NBA teams would love to have.

"I think that we're pretty deep with the guys that we have," Bulls point guard Derrick Rose said. "I think that everybody on our team knows their role. I'll just say that. Where when they come in, they know their job. They work hard. Everybody on our team works hard from the starters to the bench players to the coaches. Right now, it's just paying off for us."

It continues to pay off in a big way almost every night. When the Bulls need a spark, all Tom Thibodeau has to do is turn his head around and send in one of the reserves. In a condensed, lockout-shortened season like the one the Bulls are going through right now, it's the difference between good teams and great ones. The Bulls feel like they have in the latter category.

"You need everybody," Thibodeau said. "As it worked out, our bench has played very effectively in short minutes. Tonight, Ronnie Brewer stepped in and he has played well since the preseason."

In many ways, Brewer represents the riches the Bulls have from the reserve unit. He could have sulked when the Bulls signed Hamilton before the season, but he seems to be motivated by the move. The veteran continues to spend hours working on his three point shot and that work is paying off. Brewer is playing as well now than at any point last season.

"We know what guys can do," he said. "You don't want to look at other teams and downplay what they got, and what they can contribute, but I seriously think from the starting five and then the Bench Mob that we bring in we might be one of the deepest teams. You saw tonight. John Lucas, [Brian Scalabrine], Jimmy Butler, they came in and didn't miss a beat. They defended, they rebounded and knocked down shots."

As we learned last year, when Brian Scalabrine's name can be seen in a box score, that's a pretty good indication that the bench has done its job.

As we get set for the Bulls season, let's take a closer look at each player on the projected roster.

Ronnie Brewer

Salary: $4,700,000

Role for Bulls in 2011-'12: Brewer is being asked to do exactly what he did last season. Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau wants him to be a spark off the bench as an integral part of the 'Bench Mob'. Brewer is certainly disappointed that the Bulls brought in Rip Hamilton to be the starting two guard, but he still plans on playing as hard as he can. If he continues to play that way on the defensive end, and extends his range a little bit offensively, Thibodeau will be happy.

What happened this summer?: Brewer spent a lot of time working out in his hometown of Fayetteville, Ark., and like most of his teammates, came to training camp in good shape.

Best-case scenario: Brewer uses the frustration he feels from being passed over for Hamilton to fuel him all year. He continues playing well defensively and earns even more minutes from Thibodeau by slashing to the rim a lot when he's in the game. The extra work on his jumper pays off as he's finally able to start knocking down some long range shots with a little more consistency.

"I just want to play," Brewer said after Tuesday's shootaround. It's doesn't matter what role I'm playing in. I feel like I've been working hard to try and get better, help my teammates out and try to have an increased role. [Keith Bogans], to me had a significant role [last year] he started, played hard, contributed. We got Rip now and we got to play off him and he's got to plat of our team. We're just trying to be better than we were last year and trying to win games."

Worst-case scenario: Brewer can't make enough shots to keep himself on the floor and loses a large chunk of his minutes to teammate Kyle Korver. He becomes more unhappy in his new role and can't find his niche.

Bottom line: Brewer will soon be entering into the third and final year of his contract next season. It only has a partial guarantee. He needs to have a solid year this year and he knows it. Either the Bulls will like him enough to guarantee it all next season or he will show another team he can play and may become a solid trade chip for the Bulls later in the season.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- C.J. Watson knows there are a lot of teams in the league that would give him more minutes than he plays night to night for the Chicago Bulls. But he also realizes that if he truly wants to win a championship in his career, this season could give him his best chance.

"It gets frustrating," Watson admitted after Sunday's practice. "I want to play. But I'm playing behind one of the best point guards in the league, and also, we're winning. If we were losing, then it would be a different story. But I just want to go out there and play. I know each and every day I'm going to go out there and get better playing against him in practice. I'm going to try and make him better, too."

That type of attitude is one the reasons Bulls' management is so enthused about their backcourt heading into the season.

Derrick Rose is the reigning MVP and should be the cornerstone of the franchise for the next decade. The Bulls are set for a long time at the point guard position. Meanwhile, Watson has proven to be a valuable scorer off the bench and looked much more comfortable in his role as last season rolled along. His desire to start will only push him harder in practices throughout the season.

For the first time in more than a year, the two guard position seems to be locked in as well. While he still hasn't come right out and said it, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau will most likely put newly acquired Rip Hamilton in the starting lineup at some point in the very near future. At 33, Hamilton may not be exactly like the player he once was, but he is certainly an upgrade over Keith Bogans at the two. Hamilton has already made an impression on his new teammates and seems to have fit in nicely alongside Rose, at least in practice.

"It's going pretty good," Hamilton said after Sunday's practice of his new transition. "The guys are really helping me out on the sets and things like that. A lot of the sets are pretty much the same, but it's a lot of terminology. Every day I get a little bit better."

Rose believes people are making too much out of the fact that Hamilton has supposedly lost a step.

"They're definitely overlooking that," he said of Hamilton's conditioning. "When we were scrimmaging sometimes he was ahead of me the majority of the time."

Hamilton's arrival means that either Kyle Korver and/or Ronnie Brewer will have their playing time reduced over the course of the season. Yet another good problem to have if you're Thibodeau. There are teams in this league who would be happy to start Korver or Brewer.

The pair seems to have improved over the summer and both men are hungry to show what they can do. If Korver can become more consistent from beyond the arc, he will probably find more minutes than Brewer. Having said that, Brewer might have played his best consecutive games of the season last year during the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat. If Thibodeau needs a defensive stop late in a game against Miami, he will probably turn to Brewer once again.

The bottom line for this unit is that it is amongst the best in basketball top to bottom heading into the season. If each man plays up to his capabilities, the Bulls are going to have the type of guard depth that most coaches would salivate over. Not to mention the fact that rookie Jimmy Butler figures to get some minutes at the two and the three.

The key for Thibodeau is to find a way to keep everyone happy. Hamilton believes his new coach will be able to do that.

"The biggest thing is, everybody knows their role," Hamilton said. "And Thibs holds everybody accountable. When you've got that, good things can happen."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tom Thibodeau wanted his team to turn the page Friday night. He wanted his players to stop thinking about all they had accomplished last season and start anew in Friday's preseason opener against the Indiana Pacers.

"Your first game, you've got to establish who you are," Thibodeau said after the Bulls defeated the Pacers 95-86. "And so, what our identity is, is not going to be based on what happened last year. We have to re-establish who we are this year. This is the first step."

To that point, let's take a quick look at how each one of Thibodeau's players performed after more than six months off from NBA action:

Derrick Rose: The reigning MVP did not come out of the gate the way he wanted to and he knows it. Rose had 16 points, but he turned the ball over six times.

"I think I had like three or four turnovers, a charge, travel, like some high school turnovers," Rose said. "But I know that comes with being excited. Just being out there, just seeing everything. But I know my game is going to come back to me since I've been working so hard this summer."

Luol Deng: The Bulls' ironman played a team-high 32 minutes and scored 16 points, but he had five turnovers as well. Overall, Deng looked to be in solid shape and picked up right where he left off last year.

Joakim Noah: Noah looked winded at times, but that won't bother Thibodeau as much, given that Noah appears to be 100 percent healthy. He was rusty, but he still had 10 points, eight rebounds.

Carlos Boozer: Not a good start for the power forward who has lots to prove this season. He was just 3-for-10 from the field, but what has to be even more disconcerting is that his defensive rotations were still not up to par. He looks to be in better shape, but there's no question Thibodeau would like to see him run the floor more.

"I did like the way he and Ronnie were playing off each other," Thibodeau said. "I thought his floor game was very good. I thought he had some bunnies that he normally makes that he didn't make. Some good, some bad, we just got to keep building."

For his part, Boozer said he felt fine physically, admitting to some rust like the rest of his teammates.

"I felt great," Boozer said. "No aches, no pains. Felt great. Felt great to be playing."

Ronnie Brewer: Thibodeau decided to go with Brewer after deciding before the game that he didn't want to play newly acquired Rip Hamilton. Brewer played OK at times, but looked frustrated at various points throughout the game.

Taj Gibson: The fourth-year forward clearly improved his game this summer. He scored 12 points and has obviously developed some low-post moves to go with his solid defense.

Gibson learned an important lesson during his hours working in the gym during the lockout.

"I just want to be patient," Gibson said. "Even if it's not going your way, just have patience, push through. Try to rebound, try to play solid defense. And the main thing is to just have confidence. I got more and more confidence as the game went on. And my teammates were finding me."

C.J. Watson: Since Rose got into foul trouble early, Watson was pressed into action sooner than usual. He got hot from the field, scoring 15 points and going 3-for-3 from behind the arc. Thibodeau was pleased Watson got some minutes with the first team.

Kyle Korver: Only took three shots in 26 minutes. The good news for Thibodeau is he appears to be in good shape and appears to be a little more active on defense.

Jimmy Butler: Everyone sung the praises of the rookie after the game. Why not? He was 3-for-3 from the field, had eight points and was also very active on the defensive end.

"You've got to remember, he practices against Luol every day," Boozer said of Butler. "Luol's one of the best three men in the league. If he can compete against him every day, I don't think he's going to be too scared of too many people in the NBA."

Omer Asik: The Turkish center picked up five fouls in 18 minutes. He told Thibodeau he felt good, though.

"He says he's pain free," Thibodeau said. "He's not in great shape yet. And normally he is in great shape. That's who he is. He's a great worker, but he had to stay off the foot for a while. He says physically he feels fine. He just has to get his conditioning up."

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Joakim Noah doesn't take losing well. That doesn't make him all that much different from most NBA players, it's just that he seems to take it more personally.

After Saturday's practice, he was asked to compare his feelings between the playoff loss of 2009 when the Bulls were dropped out of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals by the Boston Celtics and in 2011 when they fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

"Losing is always hard," Noah said. "And the closer you get to your goal ... the goal is always to win a championship, the goal was to win a championship even three years ago. Even though we probably had less of a chance. You go into a season believing you're going to win the championship. [Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau] always says that. Now, who's willing to do all the things that have to be done to win? I think that maybe two years ago I really didn't know what that meant. As you grow and get experience, you start realizing, this is what we need to do."

Noah even experienced defeat over the summer in the European Championships when his French team lost the championship to Spain.

""Of course, beating Spain in the championship would have been great, but we definitely lost to a better team. That's the truth,” Noah said. “We lost to a better team. They had a lot of experience. They'd been playing together for a long time. But there was definitely positives out of it as well. We qualified for the Olympics. People in France were very proud of that team. Just the way we competed, people were proud of that. And we get to represent France for the Olympics and that's a big deal. French basketball is probably the fifth or sixth [most popular] sport out there. We just gave it a little light and people are happy about that."

Obviously, Noah is also glad to finally be in training camp after such a prolonged lockout.

"It's great," he said. "It feels so good to be back. We're a very hungry group. It's exciting to be just competing against one another. I think we kind of know what Thibs is asking, what he wants. We have our defensive principles, those aren't going to change too much. It's just exciting to be reunited and working."

Noah seems convinced that his team can take the next step in its development this season.

"We've experienced a lot when you talk about what we did last year," he said. "Coach always talks about going through the fire together and I think we did that last year, and I think it's going to help us. You learn from your experiences, good and bad, and that's what makes your unit stronger. At the same time, last year was last year. We're just staying focused on a good training camp and that's really it."

Brewer impresses Noah: Ronnie Brewer has been open about his desire to earn the starting two-guard spot during training camp and it's clear that he has impressed at least one of his teammates recently.

"I think Ronnie's playing really well right now," Noah said. "Carlos [Boozer] is looking really good, I think he's slimmed down a lot, lost like 15 pounds or something."

Noah believes his teammates have come back in pretty good shape -- and with a purpose.

"When you lose the way we lost in the playoffs last year, it just makes you hungry to work on your game and we all know what's at stake here," Noah said. "We just want to get better as a group and see how far we can take this."

Noah also praised the work ethic of Bulls rookie Jimmy Butler.

"He's a hungry kid," Noah said. "Very, very attentive. His defensive principles are really good for a rookie. When I was a rookie, I was completely lost out there. I had no idea what was going on. Everything was just so, so new to me. But he picks things up really, really fast and it's such a big learning curve. But, you see him right there, he's the last one in the gym, just trying to learn. That's a positive."

Bulls not affected by Paul decision: It felt like most NBA fans were up in arms Thursday night when word started trickling out that Commissioner David Stern had nixed the Chris Paul-to-the-Los Angeles Lakers trade. For their part, the Bulls didn't seem to care much about what had happened.

"That's all part of what goes on in the league," Thibodeau said. "Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. All I know is, for us, we have to play against him whether he's in New Orleans or some place else. He's a great player and that's about it, I really haven't thought about it that much."

Same goes for Noah.

"To be honest, I don't care," he said. "That has nothing to do with us, so whatever they do, they do. As long as it doesn't affect the Bulls, I don't really care."

The last word: Thibodeau, on the tempo of Saturday's practice, just the second of the Bulls' young season.

"It was pretty good in terms of energy. Still, [we've got] a long way to go. A little bit better. It moved a little bit better today than it did [Friday]. But defensively, there's a lot of things we have to clean up."

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls guard Ronnie Brewer has heard all the speculation about who his team is going to add at the two-guard position in free agency. He just wants people to remember that no matter who Bulls general manager Gar Forman decides to add, they will have to have to beat him for the spot.

A year after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury during training camp, Brewer says he is feeling good and is ready to take over the starting two guard role from Keith Bogans, or whomever else the Bulls bring in.

"I think Keith did a phenomenal job, and I felt like I did pretty good with the role I had," Brewer said Friday afternoon. "But now no matter who they bring in, or if they bring Keith back, it's going to be a fight in training camp. We're going to push each other and make each other better at that two spot."

Brewer said he would be comfortable if Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau decided to have him come off the bench again, but as he mentioned over the summer, he wants the chance to start.

"Whatever we've got to do to win, I'm all about that," Brewer said. "But me as a player, I've got to do everything I possibly can to put myself in a situation where I can go out there and contribute.

"If that's in a starting role, if that's coming off the bench, I can't let that stuff stop me from what I've got to do to be better and to help this team so that's why I come in every day and I work as hard as I possibly can. If my number's called, I'm going to be ready and I feel like Thibs can count on me whenever and feel confident whenever he puts me in the game."

Like the rest of his teammates, Brewer says the Bulls only have one goal on their mind this season, but he realizes that in order to attain that goal the Bulls will most likely have to find a way to get past the Miami Heat.

"Our goal to start the season is [to] win a championship," Brewer said. "You know you're going to have to go through [Miami], those guys are going to be there. The Celtics are going to be there, the Hawks, the Magic. It's a lot of great teams. We're just trying to take it one game at a time and when that time comes, we're definitely going to be prepared and ready. And try to make a different result as last year."

Brewer thinks the Bulls have a slight advantage over teams given that their core will be back in place to start the season.

"I think it's pretty good and pretty neat that we have a good group of core guys on our team already," he said. "By the end of this weekend, you're going to have almost everybody back in town working out together. I think that's always helpful, especially with how quick it's going to be from [the start of] training camp to the first game on Christmas. I know when we get back going, Thibs is going to push us pretty hard and get us prepared for our first game."

With a shortened season, Brewer knows that Thibodeau will put even more important on each contest.

"Sixty-six games is better than zero, so I'll take however many games it is as long as we're able to play," he said. "And I think it just heightens the level of every game. Every game is important to get a spot up on your division. A spot in your conference and I think the intensity level is going to raise a little bit higher because instead of having 82 games and dropping a game here or there and not making it important, I think every game is going to be important, especially with so much talent that's in the Eastern Conference."

In the meantime, Brewer is just happy to be back at the Berto Center seeing familiar faces. As he began his session with the media, Thibodeau walked out of another door. Brewer had to chuckle.

"I'm going to put my head down when he comes," Brewer said.

Like the rest of the NBA, Brewer is happy to be back at work.

"I think it's a huge stress relief," he said. "I think a lot of guys were worried that the season was in danger of being canceled. A lot of guys had a lot of question marks. But we got a deal done. We get back to work. I think guys are coming early to get ahead of the curve and we're all looking forward to working and having a successful season."

CHICAGO -- Ronnie Brewer isn't concerned that the lockout will affect the momentum that he and the Chicago Bulls built up over the past year.

"I don't think it hurts us. I think it would have helped us," Brewer said during a phone conversation on Friday morning. "Obviously we had a lot of momentum going into that conference finals. We came up a little short. It took a little wind out of the sails, but I think it turned up a flame inside every one of us to want to be eager to get back out there to start the season to get right back to where we were. I think the fire inside of us is still there. It just sucks a little bit that all this negotiating is playing out. But if you can't agree on something, you just can't agree. And if you're at odds with the opposing side, it is what it is.

“But I feel like everybody wishes that we could play basketball. We feel for the people [the lockout] affects. People that work in the arena, the businesses that are around the arena. The businesses in the arena that affect the economy. But at the end of the day we just want to play basketball as a Bulls player. We want to play for the city. We want to play for the fans and we want to play for a championship."

Here are a few more of his thoughts on what has happened since the Bulls last played:

On what he's been doing since the end of the season: "Obviously, right when the season ended, you try to take some time off to let your body heal. But then, you've got to prepare yourself like the season's going to start on time. So I've been training like it's any other offseason, working on my jump shot. Working on lifting weights to get bigger, get stronger, to be faster, quicker. Just preparing myself to have the best season I can possibly have. I feel like the team ended on a good note last year. We came up a little short, but I think everybody is doing their part to get better, to make the team better. And whenever we do start, [we'll] hit the ground running and be ready to go."

On losing the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat: "Honestly, if you look back at those games, I feel like we played well all the way up until, almost in every game, the last two or three minutes. When it came to those two or three minutes in crunch time, they executed their plays better. They executed their [sets] better and we weren't making shots. I feel like we were playing great defense, but they were just making shots and the plays were going their way. I feel like if we executed a little bit better down the stretch, we got the shots we wanted every time, the series would have been a little bit different."

On potentially playing in Europe: "It's definitely a possibility if it drags. But my loyalty is with the Chicago Bulls. They gave me an opportunity in free agency, so I'm going to stay loyal to them and try to stay in shape and work on my game so whenever this is over, I can jump right in the mix and be ready to go. But again, if this lingers on for a long period of time, you definitely have to look at that [Europe] option, but right now I'm focused on the Chicago Bulls."

CHICAGO -- When Ronnie Brewer signed with the Chicago Bulls last summer, most believed he would start alongside Derrick Rose.

But thanks in large part to a hamstring injury that continued to bother him throughout training camp, Brewer had to watch as Keith Bogans was inserted into the starting lineup. After getting completely healthy and learning in Tom Thibodeau's system for a year, Brewer is looking forward to proving himself and earning the starting two-guard spot for the Bulls when the NBA lockout ends.

"If there's a competition, there's always a shot," Brewer said Friday morning during a phone conversation from his offseason home of Fayetteville, Ark. "And last year, I couldn't compete for that spot in training camp because obviously I had a tweaked hamstring, and I couldn't go out there and play. Not to take anything away from Keith, I think he did a good job in training camp, he played really hard, he did a great job in the season [with] the time that he had.

"I can't really downplay him and what he did for this team because he did a lot. Last year, I had to do what I had to do when my name was called. Now, I feel more confident because I'm healthy, I'm in better shape, and I can actually compete for the spot in training camp. So I'm looking forward to that competition and looking forward to helping my team out wherever I'm needed."

As much as Brewer would like to start, he sounds as ready as ever to make an impact in any area that he can.

"Honestly, I just want to play basketball," he said. "If it's the starting two, or if it's the sixth man. Whatever Thibs wants me to do, I've always been that type of player my whole career. I'm going to play as hard as I possibly can and prepare myself where there's going to be a competition to be the starting two. But, if that's not what fits the team, and I need to be the spark off the bench, then I'm willing to do that. But I'm going to do everything I can to prepare myself to be the starting two."

Brewer has heard the critics who say the Bulls' biggest need after the lockout ends is to upgrade at the shooting guard position, but the 26-year-old is confident the team has the pieces in place to win.

"You hear a lot of things about not having enough pieces to help Derrick. Well, we won 62 games," he said. "That doesn't come easy and that doesn't come to a team that's not good. We had a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, but we still worked through it, played through it, and found a way to win. In those conference finals [against Miami] we didn't find a way to win, we didn't execute our offense or our defense, and that's why we came up a little short."

Brewer is trying to do his part to change that. He's spent most of the summer in the gym working on his shot and his conditioning after getting some advice after the season ended from Thibodeau.

"He basically said we all have to do better, including himself," Brewer said. "Individually, and our team, because [winning] a championship, which was our goal to start the season, I think that was everybody's goal. But as the season progressed, it became a reality that we had a shot. [Thibodeau] basically said, you've got to prepare yourself to not only get back to where we were, but to push harder and get it to the next level, which was the Finals and win it.

"Basically [the message was] improve your jump shot. Get in better shape, get stronger and do everything you usually do in the offseason. And I took that to heart. I want to be a better post-up player and a better shooter so [take away] pressure from D. Rose or Booz [Carlos Boozer] or Luol [Deng] or Joakim [Noah] or Taj [Gibson] or Kyle [Korver] whenever they're in the game so you just want to do your part and be ready for when your name is called."

Like other NBA players and fans, Brewer isn't sure when he will get the chance to play again.

"Honestly, I wish they'd have a meeting [Saturday] and figure it all out," he said. "And they'd be like, 'Hey, we're going to try and get the [season] up and running.' You've got to stay optimistic like that. Whenever you lose faith, that's when everything goes to heck. You've got to stay prepared. You've got to prepare your body. You've got to prepare your mind and whenever the timing's right and the deal's right, it will be done and we can bring great basketball back to the fans all over this world."

As for the ESPN.com reportfrom Thursday night that said over 50 players have discussed the possibility of decertifying from the union, count Brewer among the players who would like to see the union stay together.

"I'd rather stay together and back the people who backed us for this long," he said. "But at the same time, you want to play basketball. So whatever way they go, [which] allows us to get on the court, I'm all for it. But I'd rather stay [with] the union that's backed me my whole career. I'd rather stay together and stay united."

Brewer acknowledged that he would consider playing in Europe if the lockout continues to drag, but his first priority will be to prepare for the NBA season. He has stayed in touch with many of his teammates and expects the group to get together at some point soon. Over the past few months, several Bulls mentioned plans to work out together on the West Coast. While Brewer notes that is still an option, he also realizes the best course of an action would be to meet up with one another as soon as the lockout ends.

"We're still talking about [practicing together], but at the same time now, with the lockout lingering, I think guys are trying to find and any and every possible way to try and find a way of making a living," he said. "Some people go to exhibition games to stay in shape. Some guys work out individually. Some guys do different things. But at the end of the day, when it gets to closer to when they go back negotiating and it's time to [lift] the lockout, we're going to have to get together as a team so we can all be on the same page.

"All have that team chemistry that everybody loved last year, that made us excel to the team that we were. If it's out West, if it's in Chicago, we got to get on the same page to work something out. If it's for a few days, for a week, but it's got to be done."

Brewer is passing the time by helping out when he can. He'll be back in Chicago on Sunday to participate in SkyRise 2011, the world's tallest indoor stair climb, taking place in the country's largest building, the Willis Tower. Brewer is looking forward to the climb, which benefits the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

"I'm just praying that I can get through it," he said with a laugh. "I don't know how much running I'm going to be doing, maybe a good paced walk."