CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bulls have been busy in the five days since their last game. They hired a new coach. Got three new players. Put in a new offense.

And, after a dismal beginning, they hope they're getting a new start.

``We're looking forward to it,'' center Eddy Curry said after Monday's shootaround. ``We're ready to go. I'm excited about it. Excited to get the new guys in here.''

After beginning the season with such high expectations _ the first playoff appearance since the dynasty days didn't seem that farfetched _ the Bulls quickly settled into their bad old ways. They've lost seven straight and were 4-12 going into Monday night's game against Milwaukee.

They've won only once at home and lost all five games on a West Coast swing, falling to 0-32 on that trip over the past five years.

So a week ago, general manager John Paxson started shaking things up. He fired Bill Cartwright and hired former Phoenix coach Scott Skiles.

Skiles scrapped the Bulls' triangle offense _ one of the few holdovers from the dynasty _ and put in a new, up-tempo scheme. The team even had two practices Saturday, as if it was training camp all over again.

And Paxson wasn't finished. After weeks of speculation, he finalized a trade with Toronto on Saturday that brought Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams to Chicago. The Bulls sent Jalen Rose, Donyell Marshall and Lonny Baxter to the Raptors for Davis, Williams and Chris Jefferies.

The deal became official Monday, and Davis, Williams and Jefferies were in Chicago taking physicals. The Bulls hoped they'd be in uniform Monday night.

``It's going to be a little difficult because we're not familiar with them and they're not familiar with what we're running,'' Scottie Pippen said. ``We just have to continue to face the challenges and hopefully we can get over the hump.''

No matter what happens, the Bulls can't be much worse off than they were a week ago. They may be giving up their one consistent offensive threat by trading Rose, but they're getting defensive help and veteran poise with Davis and Williams.

The 6-foot-9 Davis immediately gives Chicago more of an inside presence. Though the Bulls were counting on Curry and Tyson Chandler to make big progress this year, it hasn't quite worked out that way. Curry has struggled and Chandler has been limited by a back injury. He'll sit out Monday night's game, the seventh game he's missed this season.

Williams also will make the Bulls tougher inside. Nicknamed ``Junkyard Dog,'' he's averaging 5.1 points and 8.5 rebounds a game.

``We really have a nice mix,'' Skiles said. ``We have a couple of young players, a couple of middle players and a couple of older players. I think that's what you need. Look at the teams that are successful, and that's what they have.''

Skiles had a reputation as a no-nonsense, in-your-face coach in Phoenix, a style that rubbed some players the wrong way. He's only been in Chicago a few days, but so far, the Bulls like what they've seen.

``It feels,'' point guard Jamal Crawford said, ``like it's a new start for our team.''