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While talking about former Detroit teammate Rasheed Wallace last week, Bulls center Ben Wallace called him the “missing link” to the Pistons’ 2004 championship.
That comment seemed to beg the question of whether a 6-foot-11 power forward would be the missing link for the Bulls. They start the smallest front line in the NBA with 6-9 Ben Wallace, 6-9 Luol Deng and 6-7 Andres Nocioni.
“We’ve just got to come out there and work a little bit harder at it,” Wallace replied. “Until we come out there and be a little more consistent, there’s always going to be something we’re missing.
“We’ve got to be a little more consistent to try to get to where we’re going. But I think this team is growing. I think we’re better than what we show at times.”
One noticeable trend recently has been on the defensive boards. The Bulls were once best in the NBA at limiting opponents’ offensive rebounds. They allowed 9.4 offensive boards in the first 25 games but have given up 14.3 per game in the last nine.
Bulls get defensive: This was an interesting week for the Bulls. They squandered two games against Phoenix and New Jersey, giving up leads in the final minute after being in control for most of the night.
Andres Nocioni has been playing huge down the stretch as the Bulls try to sneak in and secure a playoff spot over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Since moving into the starting lineup on March 24, the 6-foot-7 Nocioni has played almost exclusively at power forward. It’s an unconventional move, but Nocioni is proving to be a match-up problem for some teams. He shoots nearly 40 percent from 3-point range and can finish with either hand when he drives to the basket.
The Bulls entertained the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday at the United Center, a day after the Sixers pulled out an overtime victory at home against San Antonio.
A national cable audience probably was not entertained, but the Bulls notched a victory by rolling past a tired Philadelphia squad 117-84.
The Bulls (23-29) head into the break 2 games behind the Sixers (25-27) for their eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
These teams will meet three more times in the final 30 games of the season, with the next contest Feb. 25 in Philadelphia.
Ben Gordon was sharp offensively with 21 points and 6 assists in just 25 minutes. Kirk Hinrich scored 18 points and knocked down 4 of 6 shots from 3-point range.
A day after blistering his players in the postgame news conference following a 93-92 loss to Milwaukee, Bulls coach Scott Skiles had no regrets.
The Bulls’ locker room seemed more somber than usual following 7th straight defeat. Spirits appeared to be back to normal at practice. Kirk Hinrich hopes to pick up his game.
Chandler, Pike out: Bulls center Tyson Chandler will not play tonight against Seattle because of a sprained right ankle he suffered early in the third quarter against Milwaukee.
