We saw Thabo Sefolosha play basketball again this past weekend.
It was interesting, given that he has had 10 DNP's this year. It's a stark contrast from the guy who was in the starting line-up on the season-opener.
He certainly underperformed in that role, giving the Bulls an unreliable scorer at the critical two-spot. So, Kirk Hinrich stepped in. Then Ben Gordon.
But on Saturday the Swissman (is that the right label?) picked up four steals in the first half against the Utah Jazz in what turned out to be a Bulls victory. He used his length and height to disrupt passing lanes.
On one play he came over and slapped the ball from Mehmet Okur's hands. It was a classic cheat, a move that I seldom see Bulls players make other than Larry Hughes.
He ignited the team that was down by 11 points in the first quarter.
By the way, what is it about a fast, undersized, offensive-minded team that always comes out flat? It seems like the Bulls are always playing from behind, invariably waiting for Vinny DelNegro to put more athletic players at the four and five spots on the first time out.
That means Aaron Gray should never be announced in the same starting line up with Derrick Rose. Never.
Joakim Noah has decided that he should start playing basketball again, with several strong showings in the past couple of weeks. He might even give the Bulls a defensive presence if he learns how to position himself or crash on streaking guards.
Not quite the same athlete, but he should be watching film of Marcus Camby, who has proven that you can get it done in the NBA without special scoring ability.
But it's a delicate balance. The worst thing the Bulls can start doing is give Noah too much confidence, which he clearly seems to have at times. He, of course, was the same guy who barked at assistant coaches in his rookie season.
He looks completely puzzled upon any foul call against him and doesn't hide his disgust for the refs. But if he learns how to play hard defense, he could be a useful player in the league.
I know the term "useful" is not something we would call Dwight Howard or Al Jefferson, but Noah doesn't have a very high ceiling.
Speaking of ceilings, we can not unleash the Tyrus Thomas talk. There's no player on this team that angers and excites fans more than Thomas. He's more often Devin Hester the wide receiver than the kick returner.
He is Tyson Chandler minus three inches. We know he can be spectacular, but awful in the very same game.
But it appears the Bulls have missed him in the past two games. They need athletic bigs to run the court and we were just beginning to see that from him. How he returns from his concussion (which remarkably seems like a 1980s sports movie), will determine the direction of this team.
Are they a playoff team? Signs, say check later. But I'm confident that another lottery pick won't make this team any better.
Besides we already have an unknown commodity in Thomas, and that, alone, is a gamble.
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