Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau reflected on Chicago’s recruiting efforts of Carmelo Anthony this past summer, and though Anthony chose to remain in New York, Thibodeau offered nothing but praise for the Bulls’ free-agency plan, as well as Anthony, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. “I have great respect for what he’s done. He’s a great talent. But he’s a great person, too,” Thibodeau said of ‘Melo. “I got to know him a little through USA Basketball and Coach [Jim] Boeheim. And the things Coach [Mike] Krzyzewski and Coach Boeheim said about him told me that he would be a great fit for any team. When you look at his career, it speaks for itself. The numbers are incredible. He probably doesn’t get the credit for being the passer and playmaker that he is.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Thibodeau was also asked how ‘Melo would have fit on the Bulls alongside Derrick Rose, who had been rumored to have declined to take part in recruiting Anthony, something all parties have since denied, Johnson adds. “I don’t even want to go there,” Thibodeau said. “I think he’d fit great with any team. He’s a great talent.“
- Pistons president Stan Van Gundy has previously stated that his team would be looking to add some quickness to their roster through the trade market. But the head man in Detroit also insists his team can play better even without any roster changes, Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press writes. Van Gundy wouldn’t say whom the team was shopping or what players the Pistons have their eye on. What he did say is that the team could use more quickness and length, Windsor adds.
- With the Pistons‘ winning percentage a dismal .192, Van Gundy can’t say he’s done a great job cultivating the talent he inherited, Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News writes. But he does possess the power to change the personnel and chart the course of whether moves will be made to salvage the season or to look ahead, although he would never directly admit to throwing away a season, Goodwill notes.