Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas says that his recent forearm injury actually made him a calmer player.

Thomas had 21 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in his return to the court on Saturday night.

"It made me calmer," he said of the injury. "I try to be anyway -- on the floor, off the floor. I had a lot of time to think. You think, some guys have season- or career-ending injuries. It makes you understand what you're here to do. Just try to take advantage of the moment."

Thomas also knocked down a pair of important jumpers in Chicago's win over New Orleans.

"Confidence is a big thing for a young team," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Whenever you start trying to limit guys too much, it affects their mentality and makes them play slow. Sometimes you have to let them go through the pains of developing their games.

"As long as Tyrus plays with energy and (plays) hard, you're going to have to deal with some of the mistakes. Hopefully some of the mistakes will get less and less."