Chicago Bulls Notes, Quotes 2009-10-31 News Chicago Bulls

--G John Salmons has had a rough start to the season, hitting just 5-of-29 shots (17 percent) in the first two games. He seemed to get plenty of open looks against the Celtics on Friday, but couldn't knock them down. This is an important season for Salmons, a late-bloomer as a pro who finally averaged a career-best 18.1 points last year, his seventh NBA season.

"I came a long way, been through a lot of ups and downs," he said. "I'll stick with it. I'll look at some film, see what the defense is doing, see what I'm doing wrong and try to adjust to it," Salmons said quietly in the locker room. "Most of the time, I always feel like it's more me than anything."

--Boston coach Doc Rivers predicted the Bulls will be a better team than last year, even though they lost leading scorer Ben Gordon, who was so often a hero during last season's epic playoff series. That analysis didn't look so great after the Celtics pounded the Bulls by 28 points, but it probably still stands.

"I think they're longer, I think they're a better defensive team," Rivers said. "I think they fit. That's taking nothing from Ben, he was phenomenal in the playoffs last year. But so was Ray (Allen). I think now their team does fit. (John) Salmons is at the two, probably what he is. (Luol) Deng gives them more length at three. (Kirk) Hinrich is playing one and two. I just think they're a better fit."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We just didn't play the same way we did in the opener. Defensively, we weren't helping each other. It didn't seem like the intensity was there and then offensively, we didn't play together. We tended to go off on our own and we struggled as a result of it." -- G Kirk Hinrich, after the Bulls were clobbered in Boston on Friday.

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