Interview with Bulls GM Forman

Bulls GM Gar Forman will be checking in at Bulls.com twice a month to share his thoughts on the team now until the end of the 2009-10 season.

Last week: Top priority for Bulls from day one is defense

Bulls.com: Wins don’t mean all that much in the preseason, but nonetheless, 2-0 isn’t a bad start. What are your thoughts on the team’s play in the first two games?

Gar Forman: “You’re right in that wins and losses aren’t all that important this time of year. At the same time, they are keeping score, and when you’re out there playing, you want to win the game. But it’s more about guys starting to get their feet under them, and we get a look at the younger guys. We’ll see different rotations that Vinny [Del Negro] may want to use during the year. With the veterans, we bring them along at a little slower pace. There are a lot of things you focus on, but it’s still nice to win some games.”

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Bulls.com: Both of the team’s first round draft picks, James Johnson and Taj Gibson, have shown signs early on that they’ll be able to contribute this season. Gibson finished with 19 points and nine rebounds at Indiana, and Johnson had 18 and eight, plus the game-winning shot to beat Utah in London. Are you pleased with their development and what you’ve seen from them on the practice court?

Forman: “We’ve seen a lot of encouraging things from both James and Taj since summer league. We gave them a week off after it ended, and they’ve been at the Berto Center ever since. Both of them are serious about getting better and business-like in their approach. We’re optimistic because of those things. When you come in at this level, you really don’t know what to expect. But they are going about things in the right way. They have both been good in practice. Obviously, some of the guys who have been here are more familiar with what we’re doing on the floor, so there has been a learning curve where they have been getting used to how we do the things we do. The effort out of James and Taj has been consistent. We know there will be peaks and valleys in regards to their play, but they’ve both shown the potential to help us this season.”

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Bulls.com: Besides the commitment to defense, what else do the Bulls need to do in order to take another step forward this season?

Forman: “We’ve got to play as a unit. I don’t think it will be just one or two guys that will carry us. Different guys will have to step up on different nights. It’s going to have to be a collective effort, and that doesn’t just apply offensively, with ball movement and finding the open man. We need to come together defensively as well. Individual defenders are important to have, but a lot of what we’re doing employs a team defensive philosophy with help built in. Hopefully guys will be on the same page and play as a unit.”