Boozer: Rose is 'amazing'

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- In the midst of the endless questioning as to when Carlos Boozer will actually make his debut for the Bulls, the veteran power forward had some interesting things to share regarding Derrick Rose. No matter when Boozer returns to the floor, he knows whose team it is.


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Carlos Boozer is expected to make his Bulls' debut in the near future. "It's definitely [Rose's] team," Boozer said. "He's proven that. He's earned that. Worked his butt off. You see how good he is, how great of a season he's had already. [It's] definitely his team."

After spending several months watching Rose every day, Boozer has a new appreciation for just how good the 22-year-old All Star is.

"He's amazing," Boozer said. "I'm really impressed. I knew he was good, and I played against him a couple times. We played against for like a week or two on the 2008 USA team. He was on the select team, the team that we practiced against for a week or two in Vegas. And I was really impressed with how he was playing against [Jason] Kidd, [Deron Williams] and Chris Paul. I knew he was really good, but then you see him every day in practice, you see him in games. The kid has a heart of a champion. He makes play after play after play."

Boozer knows that Rose has had to change his game a little bit without him on the floor.

"Lately, he's been having to shoot a lot, which is more than he'd like to," Boozer said. "We don't want to wear him down, but we needed his points. Or at least his threat on the basket because he's a great penetrator. But, wow ... in one word, all I can say is wow. He's really good."

Obviously, Boozer is looking forward to teaming up with Rose.

"He makes the game easy because if teams are crazy enough to play him one on one he'll have his day," he said. "And then when he gets double teamed, it's four on three behind the ball so it's great when you have a player of that caliber."

Taj is OK: Bulls forward Taj Gibson was back at practice on Tuesday after sitting out Monday because of continued problems with his right ankle. It's the same injury Gibson initially suffered last week during practice at the Staples Center before the Lakers game in Los Angeles.

"It's been real painful the whole time," Gibson said. "But I've just been playing through it. Just been pushing. But doctors came in and said I'm not in danger of hurting myself and further. They just told me [to put] a lot of ice and a lot of treatment [on it]. Coach Tibs understands that and that's what we've been doing."

Gibson and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau both said he's day-to-day, but is expected to play Wednesday night against the Magic.

The last word: Joakim Noah, on having his own bobblehead. The Bulls are giving away a Noah bobblehead on Wednesday night and Noah got a first-hand look at it after Tuesday's practice.

"You know when you have your own bobblehead, you know things are good," he said