July 12--There's an adage that has been circulating around the NBA Summer League here for years.
"It's only summer league, but . . ."
The gist is that not much of what happens here, in sometimes sloppy games filled with rookies, undrafted free agents and players chasing 15th spots, applies once the regular season begins.
Nevertheless, Saturday marked the Bulls' debuts of new coach Fred Hoiberg and first-round pick Bobby Portis. And for at least the first half of the opener against Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves, all is well.
Portis scored 11 points and Hoiberg's offense rang up 42 points as the Bulls led by five at halftime.
"It's only summer league, but . . ." this still represents the first NBA coaching game for Hoiberg, who is expected to serve as the head coach for at least the Bulls' weekend games here before possibly ceding to a staff member.
Hoiberg replaced Tom Thibodeau in early June, and NBA head coaches don't often lead summer-league teams, although both Steve Kerr for Golden State and David Blatt for Cleveland did so last year. The Knicks' Derek Fisher is doing so this year.
"I'm excited," Hoiberg said in a recent interview in Chicago. "It will be a good chance to see what we're trying to implement on the practice court in game settings."
Portis, according to multiple people who witnessed them, has been extremely active in the Bulls' practice sessions, diving on the floor for loose balls and getting out in transition.
"I feel like I don't have a position. I feel I'm a basketball player," Portis said recently. "I do what the coach asks me to do. I'm a combo power forward-center. I can play without the ball or play with it."
Doug McDermott and Cameron Bairstow are holdovers who will play extensively on Saturday. McDermott scored 10 first-half points.
Towns scored four first-half points but was active with passing and shotblocking.
