Is Andres Nocioni a Dirty Player? Richard Jefferson Thinks You Know the Answer

Bulls savior Derrick Rose suffered a minor hip injury Friday as a result of a seemingly innocuous foul by Milwaukee's Richard Jefferson. Later in the game, Andres Nocioni hammered Jefferson (according to game reports), and Jefferson took exception. On the surface, it seems alright: if Noces thought the Rose foul was excessive, making a statement would be the normal next step ... even in the preseason.

Jefferson, obviously, disagrees. Actually, he disagreed at the time as well: he and Nocioni got into a shouting match, and I think Luke Ridnour killed a guy.* Jefferson had some thoughts after the game, and Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald passes them along.

After the game, I asked Jefferson for his take on the incident. Did he think Nocioni's foul was retaliation for the one on Rose? Keep in mind that this conversation was good-natured all the way through. Jefferson was not upset or angry and it was nice to hear a player of his caliber open up.

"How long have you been following the Bulls? What type of player do you think Nocioni is?" Jefferson answered. "Don't ask me a question if you already know the answer."

You see, that's how obvious it is that Nocioni is dirty: Jefferson feels it is insulting to even ask him if Nocioni is dirty. Certainly, Noces is seen as the toughest Argentine in the league; his "hustle," "grit" and "toughness" share most of the responsibility for his last big contract. This isn't to say he doesn't also offer good rebounding and shooting -- most teams would be better with him on the roster -- but a good portion of his game comes from hitting players harder than they'd like to be hit. And to be honest, much of Jefferson's game is tied to avoiding direct confrontation -- he's a high-flying skill player.

All I know is that I appreciate both parties for giving us a bit more drama in the preseason. Only two days left until we get the real thing. (And hey, now we at least know Jefferson did actually show up in Wisconsin. Good sign.)