The Starting Five: Bulls vs. Cavs

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Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010
12:38 p.m.

By Aggrey Sam
CSNChicago.com
1. Bulls center Joakim Noah concurred with his coach's opinion about Wednesday's game.

"The Bulls are just trying to get a win. It's an important game for us. They're still in our division and they're very capable. They have a lot of offensive firepower and they're very well-coached. We've just got to come with the right energy and the right focus," Noah told CSNChicago.com before the team's shootaround Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena. "The goal is always the same. It's to try to win a basketball game. That's what we're here to do and we've got to come with the right mindset and get ready to play."

2. Bulls power forward Carlos Boozer spent his first two NBA seasons in Cleveland after the Cavaliers selected him in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft. Prior to Wednesday's shootaround, Boozer spoke to CSNChicago.com about his favorite memories of his experience in Cleveland.

"Just getting drafted. Sitting there and got that phone call from Cleveland that they were going to draft me. I actually played for Bulls reserve point guard John's Lucas III dad former NBA player and coach John Lucas. That's how I know 'Luke' so good. His dad drafted me and I had chance to come here and get to the NBA, so I've always got great memories here and a great level of respect for the organization," said Boozer. "I wanted to prove to everybody that passed me up in the first round that I was good enough to be at this level and I still wear that chip on my shoulder today, to be honest with you. I was proud that the Cavs drafted me. They gave me an opportunity to get down, so for me, I took the pride every night to prove that I was good enough to be here."

3. Thibodeau's opposing coach in the matchup, Byron Scott, has a reputation for turning moribund squads around as a head coach.

"To me, he's an excellent coach. He prepares his team well, they always play hard, they play unselfishly and they'll get better as the season goes along," said Thibodeau of Magic Johnson's former backcourt mate with the Showtime-era Lakers, who took the lowly New Jersey Nets to two NBA Finals with Jason Kidd at point guard and briefly made the New Orleans Hornets a Western Conference contender with Chris Paul running the show.
4. Thibodeau highlighted third-year power forward Hickson as a player to be watched carefully.

"He's got great quickness at his position, so his reaction to the ball is excellent. He can face up, he can drive the ball hard, he's got a good low-post game, get to the jump hook. If he gets deep post position on you, he can hurt you and he's quick -- he can out-quick people -- so you've got to be down and ready on the catch. He's getting better and better as a young player," said Thibodeau. Averaging 11.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in his first season as a full-time starter -- he started in Shaquille O'Neal's absence and prior to Cleveland's trade deadline acquisition of Antawn Jamison, but was demoted prior to the playoffs, a questionable move since the Cavs' front office was loath to include him in a potential trade for Amar'e Stoudemire -- Hickson is regarded as the team's player with the best long-term potential, although his rebounding and defense has been criticized by new coach Scott.

5. Don't forget to follow me at @CSNBullsInsider.

Aggrey Sam is CSNChicago.com's Bulls Insider. Follow him @CSNBullsInsider on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bulls information and his take on the team, the NBA and much more.

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