More Tyrus drama?

The Bulls were cruising along toward an easy 110-96 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. There should have been no worries, but then Tyrus Thomas got a surprising quick hook late in the third quarter, leaving the floor after playing less than two minutes.

I wasn’t watching when Thomas walked over to the bench, because I wasn’t expecting him to leave. But he remained standing on the sideline for a long time before finally pulling on his warm up and sitting down.

What was this all about? Not sure and didn’t think there was any point in asking coach Vinny Del Negro after the game, because he always downplays internal issues. Thomas left the locker room quickly after the game, which isn't unusual.

Thomas played well in the first half, collecting 4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. He was instrumental in helping turn an early 10-point deficit into a 6-point halftime lead. On the dry erase board in the locker room, Thomas was singled out for contesting 12 opponents’ shots.

When he took the floor in the third quarter, he missed a couple of shots, which didn’t seem like a big deal, but he came out right after the second miss.

Maybe it’s a stretch to consider this drama, but it seemed to bother Thomas. He came back in the fourth quarter, played just under five minutes and seemed to carry some anger, collecting 3 fouls and 3 turnovers.

Bulls fans know the situation all too well. No one would deny that Thomas can have a major impact on the Bulls’ success when he’s hustling and contributing. Like most players, Thomas craves consistent minutes and wants a role in the offense.

So a game like this is troubling, but we’ll have to see how things go on Monday when the Bulls have another game they need to win against Detroit, which has dropped 12 in a row.