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Collins can't understand fuss over postgame comments

CHICAGO - What's wrong with being honest? That's what 76ers coach Doug Collins wondered after his 11-plus-minute news conference after Tuesday's effortless, 98-84 loss to the lowly Orlando Magic became all the rage on Wednesday.

CHICAGO - What's wrong with being honest?

That's what 76ers coach Doug Collins wondered after his 11-plus-minute news conference after Tuesday's effortless, 98-84 loss to the lowly Orlando Magic became all the rage on Wednesday.

"I guess I was trending," Collins said before Thursday's game against the Bulls. "Viral, trending? I said, 'Man, what is all this stuff?' It was interesting; I went back and I said, 'Wait a second. I didn't get that I slammed them or was being kind of hard.' I thought I was just talking about what I expected, and, as a coach, that's what you do. There was nobody called out. I just spoke that we're a team.

"I've never been a guy that if you lost a game and you competed to your best, that I was ever disappointed. I've always been disappointed if I felt like the team didn't do everything we could to win. I was trying to get the spin on this about how it was that I was being so hard, but I don't think I did that at all. I think the players know that. We're a big honesty group. I think that's what you need to do. I think our guys know what's expected when you put a Sixers uniform on and how we have to play. I was shocked. My phone was blowing up on me and stuff like that. I didn't realize I had been so tough."

Collins expressed his frustrations over the team's effort in the Orlando game, including saying the outing was "mind-numbing."

On Thursday, his players didn't seem to make a big deal of Collins' remarks, either.

"I heard it; it was on ESPN. One of the few times we've been on ESPN was because of that," Evan Turner said, laughing. "Usually, the only other time we're on ESPN is because of an injury or Andrew's [Bynum's] hair. It's whatever. It's people's opinion.

"I think you can't feed too much into it, I don't think my teammates did, either. I think we understood what went on during that game. When it rains, it pours. But the whole situation and the big deal people made about it or what coach said, that's what he decided to say. I didn't really pay too much attention to it. I'm sick, so I'm trying to get better, so I have enough stuff to worry about."

Still no Rose for Bulls

It was April 28 of last year when Derrick Rose crumpled to the floor in front of the Sixers' bench in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, grabbing at his left knee as the pain ripped through it. Rose tore his anterior cruciate ligament and hasn't played since.

He looked very good during his individual workout before Thursday's game, draining long jumpers and hitting floaters from all over the floor, while jumping off his left leg. Whether he's close to returning for the Bulls or will wait until next season to come back is anyone's guess.

"Obviously, Derrick is a freak of nature," said Evan Turner, who had a rivalry against Rose in high school in Chicago. "That's tough stuff. There's no real rush for him to rush back; at the same time, he has to be confident in that situation to come back. Just because everybody else wants him to come back, if he tweaks it again, then what happens? Everybody would feel stupid over what possibly might not result in a championship."

Said Doug Collins, who coached for three seasons in the Windy City: "The Chicago Bulls have a tremendous investment in Derrick Rose. You want to make sure that this young guy is ready to go. We take a guy like [Minnesota running back] Adrian Peterson and we see this guy did rehab and was back and playing football, and you sort of expect everybody to have the same timetable.

"Knees are different. Every player is different, everybody's game is different. Derrick is an explosive player. He plays in the lane, he's landing in a lot of bodies, in a lot of congestion. He's going to have to be very confident when he plays about being able to explode off that leg and come down in a crowd and being able to do the things he has to do.

"Jerry Reinsdorf and the Bulls organization have never been shortsighted people. They don't do that. They view the big picture. They see that they have a franchise that has a chance to be very good for a very long time and Derrick Rose is the guy who is going to make that special. I totally understand."

No Bynum update

Doug Collins had no update on Andrew Bynum Thursday, saying he spoke to him Wednesday but didn't ask about his knees.

Bynum played five-on-five last Friday and was supposed to talk with the media on Tuesday, but was a no-show. There is a chance he will talk Friday to reporters.

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