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Scottie Pippen says he has been watching the Bulls -
On Tyrus Thomas:
"He can be a defender and a shot blocker. You don't want him taking those ill-advised shots, jumping and trying to pass the ball. He dribbles better with his left hand than his right. He must have broken his arm when he was a kid. He shouldn't be dribbling. He should be a fetcher. Like Ben Wallace, [Joakim] Noah, go get the ball. They don't have enough athletes. I could see why they went for someone like Thomas. He's athletic, but he doesn't know how to play the game. He's great from the neck down. What can he do? Have him do that."
On Ben Wallace:
"I'd say I need more effort from him. I need positive numbers in rebounds, deflections, charges. He's not playing with four All-Stars anymore. He plays defense every night or Tyrus Thomas is out there playing. You don't pay a rebounder $15 million. OK, they did. He doesn't know the game like Dennis Rodman did. Dennis knew how and why he got rebounds. So you keep on him or he doesn't play."
On Ben Gordon:
"It's his shot selection. You take those bad shots, you're sitting down. He's out there shooting for a contract. Offensively, they can be as good as last year. But their shot selection is horrible. [Luol] Deng also is playing for a contract. There's no flow to their game. Gordon has to make plays. If there's two, three guys running at him, he still wants to make a shot. Those shots are out of position, your teammates don't expect them, you are not in position to rebound and get back. Taking bad shots is a sign of a lack of respect for your teammates. You think I'm going to run back if I know B.J. Armstrong is jacking it up? My shot is just as good as his. That's what players think."
On Kirk Hinrich:
"He just needs direction. He's guarding Kobe, Tracy McGrady, the best players. He's not that talented. Let him run the offense. But you can't have midgets running your backcourt. Little guards always put you in a vulnerable position. You've got to send help. It puts too much pressure on the defense. I'd tell Kirk to try to control the game, don't force shots, but late in the game be ready. Early, I'd have him off the ball."
On Luol Deng:
"He's solid. But he doesn't have enough speed. He plays more upright, so it's tough for him to go out and guard smaller guys. I think Deng is on the verge of being a star. But all that money talk added pressure. Now he's trying to show 28, 29 teams what he's about instead of going out and playing. When the reality is maybe one or two would be looking at him."
On Andres Nocioni:
"I'd sit down with him and say, 'Show me you're a winner and play like it. Not with those crazy antics. Make your hustle work in a positive way.' He's turning into Rasheed Wallace with the kinds of things he does on floor. It makes the officials turn on the whole team. And you stop getting calls. Don't shoot those ill-advised shots. Don't look to get bailed out by the refs."
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