Jan. 29--Pau Gasol has competed at Staples Center in better places mentally than how he entered it Thursday night.
Gasol, who won two NBA championships with the Lakers in far happier times, first was snubbed for a coaches' reserve selection for next month's All-Star Game, an honor he openly sought after losing a starting berth in fan voting by a mere 360 votes.
Of more importance, Gasol surveyed the Bulls as they opened a seven-game trip with a late tipoff against the Lakers and noted the injured count rising and the inconsistent play not fading.
"It's a time where you have to bring everyone together and play at your best," Gasol said. "We've been up-and-down lately. We have a lot of guys (injured) and it's a long trip. We need effort and extra concentration from every guy."
These kind of trips can make or break a team, particularly one losing bodies at an alarming rate, including Nikola Mirotic's appendectomy on Wednesday that will sideline him through the All-Star break. That injury piled on top of Joakim Noah's season-ending shoulder surgery, Mike Dunleavy not yet playing this season and various other players moving in and out.
Coach Fred Hoiberg said Mirotic first suffered pain during Monday's home loss to the Heat, which continued the disturbing pattern of bad losses following impressive victories.
At first, Hoiberg said Mirotic figured he reacted to something he ate. When pain worsened overnight, speculation centered on an abdominal strain. But a CT scan revealed appendicitis and Mirotic underwent an immediate appendectomy.
With Noah already out, Hoiberg admitted the Bulls will need mostly to resort to smaller lineups because rookie Bobby Portis is the only reserve big who has played regular rotation minutes. Cameron Bairstow and Cristiano Felicio are short-minute options in favorable matchups.
Doug McDermott and even Jimmy Butler have taken turns at power forward in practice.
"Doug's very good with a spread lineup; I think he'll be difficult to guard," Hoiberg said. "The question is can you defend and rebound? That's what you have to have. And on this trip, there will be opportunities (to play small).
"I actually ran Jimmy at some power forward the other day and told him, 'I think we found your natural position.' So we might get him some work there."
At least the Bulls returned E'Twan Moore and Derrick Rose to action Thursday; the latter had left Monday's loss early with right hamstring and lower back soreness.
"I feel good," Rose said. "It was just the smart decision."
Hoiberg called having Rose for all seven road games "very important." Rose knows what's ahead.
"It's going to be hard," Rose said. "I've been on teams before where guys got injured, including myself. The guys behind them have to pick up for that absence. Niko, of course, was key piece to our team. Joakim too. But I think we have the right players."
kcjohnson@tribpub.com
