Dennis Rodman’s teammates are starting to voice concern over how much he will be able to contribute when the playoffs open Friday night.
Rodman again took part in a full practice session on Wednesday at the Berto Center but Scottie Pippen said Rodman hasn’t been as “active” as he usually is on the floor. As expected, Rodman’s timing also is off. He missed the team’s final 13 games with a sprained left knee.
But Pippen said it’s just a matter of Rodman getting in a game situation to truly test the knee. Rodman will wear a knee brace for his first few games back.
“We shouldn’t expect him to be the same Dennis because he’s been out the last month,” Pippen said. “I don’t expect to see Dennis go out on Friday and get 20 rebounds.”
Bulls coach Phil Jackson said Rodman probably won’t start Friday. Jackson added he doesn’t know how much playing time Toni Kukoc will get. Kukoc missed 22 of the Bulls’ final 26 games with a strained arch in his right foot.
“I can’t say what I expect,” Jackson said. “I may not even start them.”
Step by step: After his second full day of practice, Kukoc said his foot felt better than it did Tuesday.
“My conditioning is a little bit off,” he said. “I tried to do as much as I could, running in the pool and riding the bike, but it’s not the same thing as running on the court.
“I really need these two to three days to work on (conditioning) before the game.”
Silence is golden: Steve Kerr was the first Bull in two days to speak to the media at the Berto Center. “I’m only out here because I feel sorry for you guys because nobody will talk to you,” he dead-panned.
