http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=113416
Q. Are the rest of the Bulls fed up with Noah's behavior?
A. Not at all. In fact, everyone on the team likes the rookie center. Don't forget, Noah's teammates tabbed him to lead cheers from inside the pregame huddle.
The extended punishment was a case of team elders feeling that Noah needed to learn an important lesson about controlling his emotions and showing up on time. Only time will tell if it does any good.
The veterans will take great pains to make sure Noah doesn't feel alienated by this incident. It's probably no coincidence that Noah's locker in Atlanta was next to Griffin.
Q. Didn't Tyrus Thomas have trouble adjusting to NBA life last season as a rookie?
A. Well, no one should be shocked when a 21- or 22-year-old learns a tough lesson about the real world.
Noah's situation is similar to what Thomas went through last year with the bizarre "free money" controversy, when Thomas enraged the league with some flip comments about being chosen for the dunk contest.
In many ways, Noah and Thomas are similar. They work hard but struggle at times adapting to the NBA game. They both can act silly and often sing in the locker room after victories.
But there also are stark contrasts. Noah grew up in relative affluence, with his father one of France's most famous citizens. Noah also was the face of college basketball the past two years and claimed that no one in history had more fun in college than he did.
Thomas, on the other hand, has been hardened by poverty, tragedy and a single-parent household. Six months before Thomas became the No. 4 pick in the NBA draft, no one outside Baton Rouge, La., had heard of him.
So Thomas was uneasy around the media when he first arrived, though Noah might be gaining ground after this week.
Q. Aren't Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng supposed to be the Bulls' team captains?
A. People probably make too big a deal about being a captain, since it's largely a ceremonial position. It's only natural for older players to dispense advice and take charge.
Wallace did a nice job explaining the Noah decision publicly, but there's little doubt that Griffin was the driving force behind the move.
Griffin takes his role as a team leader seriously, and he's good at it. He's mature, has good people skills and doesn't have any agendas beyond helping the team function smoothly.
