The Bulls suspended forward Tyrus Thomas for their game against the Miami Heat last Saturday for conduct detrimental to the team.
Thomas’ suspension is another blow to a team that had lost three straight and was already short-handed up front, with Joakim Noah sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot that is expected to keep him out until after the All-Star break.
“It’s unfortunate timing, but in the short run, there’s a responsibility,” coach Vinny Del Negro said. “No one player is bigger than the team, and there’s a responsibility to do things right. … It’s not one person. It’s a group, and you have to be committed to what your role is on the team. You have to be committed to your teammates, your coaches, the organization. That doesn’t go just for Tyrus; it goes for everybody.”
Thomas, who missed seven weeks with a broken left forearm, is averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds over 25 games in his fourth season. He played well when he returned in late December, scoring 21 points and 19 points in two of his first three games back, but his role lately has been limited. He played 16 minutes at Atlanta on Friday after getting 15 minutes in back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
“We all get frustrated,” veteran guard Lindsey Hunter said. “You can’t act out your frustrations. At some point, you have to grow up and be a man about it.”
He hopes Thomas will grow from this.
“Maybe this’ll help him understand he needs to get beyond some things,” Hunter said.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press
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