Pargo visits doctor in Philadelphia

Bulls guard Jannero Pargo skipped practice Thursday to meet with a specialist in Philadelphia about his recurring back and hip tightness. He’s planning to meet the team in Cleveland and should be available to play against the Cavs on Friday night.

“He’s been fighting through it with the lack of bodies we have and I appreciate that,” coach Vinny Del Negro said Thursday at the Berto Center. “But we need to get him healthy and feeling better when he gets out there. When he starts to run, it just locks up on him. If we can find a way to help that, he’ll be more productive.”

In other injury news, Kirk Hinrich was dressed for practice and shot around a little bit. At the end of the team huddle, Hinrich picked up a ball and swished a 1-handed runner from 45 feet. Del Negro thinks it’s possible the veteran guard could be back in uniform Saturday when the Bulls host Toronto.

“He wants to get out there, it’s more us holding him back a little bit just to be a little bit smart with this early in the season,” Del Negro said.

DERRICK ADMITS DREAMING
Derrick Rose was asked if he’s allowed himself to imagine LeBron James joining the Bulls as a free agent. Not surprisingly, his answer was yes.

“Yeah, we need one of them. Any one of those superstars needs to come here,” Rose said. “Especially a guy like him, he can’t do anything but make the team better.”

The Cavaliers have gone 9-2 since losing to the Bulls on Nov. 5. In their last two games, the Cavs have handled two of the best teams in the West, beating Dallas by 16 and Phoenix by 17, both at home.