Comments from Vinny Del Negro

Overall, how would you evaluate last season?

It was an interesting year.  We had a very young core and had to deal with several injuries along the way.  The impact of the mid-season trade bringing in Brad Miller and John Salmons was huge - two veteran guys who have been there before.  I saw a lot of growth in the guys as the year progressed.  Our schedule was more favorable in the second half of the season and we took advantage of that.  We got on a roll at the right time and we played really well at home.  Last season was very positive, and I felt like we matured as a team.

What did our team learn, and what are your reflections on, the Playoff series with Boston? 

The series against Boston was an invaluable learning experience, especially for our young guys.  I saw a lot of growth in the team as a whole, but our young core of Derrick, Tyrus and Joakim, in particular, took a lot away from that series.  The margin for error in the Playoffs is razor thin.  Everything is magnified - the mistakes, the execution offensively and defensively - all take on huge importance.  It was important for our young core and team as a whole to get a sense of that, and build on it for this season.  None of us were pleased with the outcome of the Boston series, but I think the experience will pay dividends for us down the road.

How is Luol Deng's progress and do you expect a 100% recovery by training camp?

Luol has had a very productive summer to this point, and I expect him to be ready to go by the time camp starts.  He's been shooting, running and lifting.  And most importantly he's been healing.  Luol knows how vital he is to this team and to the future of the franchise, and we need to get him back to where he was a couple years ago.  I know he's excited to get back on the court and get back to playing at a high level.

Evaluate Derrick Rose's first year, and more importantly, where do you expect to see him improve?

Derrick will continue to improve because he's so young and has so much talent to develop.  He got better as the year went on and he'll continue to learn when to pick his spots - when to score, distribute, make plays off the dribble and when to take over a game.  I'd like to see him improve his assist numbers and get to the free throw line more.  Derrick has a great humility and a fantastic work ethic, and I know it's only a matter of time before he masters both the mental and physical parts of the game.

What are your expectations for Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah?  What do you have them working on?

Tyrus and Joakim have both been working hard through their summer programs - lifting a lot, working on their post-up and elbow games.  When they control the paint and rebound, they are difference makers and they get us out in the open court.  Brad Miller brings a lot of stability and experience to the front line, which is a comfort factor for Tyrus and Joakim.  He's strong, physical and he can guard the post.  I saw tremendous growth from them last season and I expect Tyrus and Joakim to pick up right where they left off in the Playoffs.

How do you see Kirk Hinrich's role changing this season?

Kirk played a big role for us last season, and now with Ben gone it'll be even bigger.  Kirk is our leader and our captain.  I love the aggressiveness and veteran savvy Kirk brings every night - he's our best perimeter defender who will play both point guard and shooting guard for us.  He can defend three positions on the floor and that versatility will once again be huge.

Evaluate this year's drafting of James Johnson and Taj Gibson.  What will their roles be? 

Rookies take time to get acclimated to the NBA.  James and Taj will have to adjust to the speed of the game, the terminology, the physicality and the hectic schedule.  James has a variety of skills - he can handle the basketball, he can make plays on his own and he sees the floor well.  Taj is long and athletic.  He's a hard worker who blocks shots and runs the floor well.  Their biggest adjustment will be defensively.  Both guys will add to our depth, and their contributions this year will be based on how quickly they can get acclimated and their preparation coming into camp.

What do you see as our team's strengths and weaknesses? 

One of our strengths is that the majority of our team is back.  Our guys will know what is expected of them and I'll have a lot better comfort level with everyone.  Our players' improvement through their summer programs and workouts will be key to us taking the next step - the better we get individually the stronger we become collectively.   The areas we need to improve right now are defense and rebounding, and we need to be more efficient offensively.  Our rotations got a little short last year.  Adding James Johnson, Taj Gibson and Janerro Pargo will make us bigger and give us extra depth.

As a first year head coach last season, what surprised you, both good and bad?  What lessons did you take away? 

There are so many things thrown at you as a first year head coach.  I was fortunate to have an experienced staff that helped me tremendously.  Whether you've been coaching for 1 year, 5 years or 20 years, you're always trying to improve and get better, and as the season went on I became more and more comfortable with everything.  Time management, making quick decisions, practicing properly and knowing how best to leverage the players' talents - these are all important things that take time to master. 

Over the last 10 years the Bulls have started out slowly in large part because of the "Circus Trip."  Is there anything we can do to be more successful in the early part of November? 

Last year on the circus trip we were 3-4, which was an improvement compared to previous seasons.  Unfortunately we don't get to make the schedule, and if you look at the first couple months of the season, it'll be a challenge for us.  We have to prepare to perform at a high level right out of the gate, because things won't be easy.  The Eastern Conference got stronger this summer with all the player movement, so there will certainly be no easy games.  Last year we saw steady improvement as the season went along, and with the addition of Brad and John, we got on a winning track.  Having Brad and John to start the season plus a healthy Luol Deng is going to be a big help in getting off to a good start.

How will the offense change with Ben Gordon gone? 

There's no question we'll miss some of the things Ben gave us.  Making up for that production will be a collective effort.  Derrick's growth going into his second year, getting Luol healthy, a bigger role for Kirk Hinrich, having John Salmons and Brad Miller for a full season along with Tyrus and Joakim's improvement - all those things will play a part.  Offensively some of our sets will change, but with a year of playing together under our belts, we're going to be sharper on offense as a group.

Aside from making the Playoffs, what are your team goals for the coming season? 

It's an old cliché, but we have to keep improving every day.  We have to continue to develop our young core, and keep our flexibility moving forward to add talented players around that young core.  We want to take another step in the right direction with more of a defensive mentality and build on the momentum we gained at the end of last season.  Those are just words, now we have to go out, put the work in and prove it.  I feel very confident and comfortable with the group we have.  There are a lot of positives, but certainly a lot of work yet to be done.

Everyone's talking about the free agent class of 2010.  What are we doing to ensure a shot at those players?  What are our chances of acquiring an All-Star? 

We've put ourselves in a position financially to go after those big names in free agency, that's the first step.  Secondly, Chicago has tremendous history, great fans and a great young core of players.  A top tier player would fit right in.  That being said, we have a very important season ahead of us and the talent to compete with anyone.  We're always looking to improve by making deals, and if there's an opportunity to do so we'll certainly look at it.