Bulls' Forward Tyrus Thomas blows up

Old news by now, but Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas was suspended for one game for cussing out his coach, Vinnie Del Negro, behind closed doors. Apparently Thomas was upset that he isn't starting. He has some legitimate beefs. He seems to have lost his starting role due to injury. His statistics are better than his replacement, though they are mostly logged against second teamers. And he is a very athletic shot blocker and since he's returned from the injured list, the Bulls have played better and won more.

On the other hand, Tyrus looks to be two different players...or should I say indifferent? At times he harnesses all that athletic ability and puts together dominant stretches of floor time, but at other times, "indifferent" is maybe the best way to put an attempt to describe his play. He will be in the wrong place, he won't hustle, he won't help when he should. There are times, also, where it looks like Tyrus is all about "me", when he takes ill-advised shots, makes moves for the sake of making moves, and tries to block a shot by leaving his man, who then scores easily. Maybe that should have been that he looks to be THREE different players.

He came back against the Indiana Pacers, who are not a very good team, and played well by all accounts, though I didn't see the game. He started, too, and that of course led to speculation as to who is calling the shots here.

The Bulls need Tyrus to play well. They also need for their coach, who I am not too fond of, to play him and leave his apparent dislike of Tyrus out of the equation. They need these things because they probably have to trade Tyrus soon, before the deadline. He's a number 4 overall pick, traded to the Bulls for the number 2 overall pick (LaMarcus Aldridge) and someone who is forgotten by now. He can be an expiring contract if the Bulls renounce his rights this offseason; he would be a restricted free agent if they don't. But the Bulls really don't want to get nothing out of that draft except for cap space, I believe. They want to get something of value for Tyrus.

I don't know if that's possible anymore, but it will be with some interest that we watch what happens with Thomas over the next couple of weeks.

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