CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls will be without one familiar face for much of the coming season, so theyre bringing back another to help fill the void. Alfred Morris Jersey . Kirk Hinrich returned to the Bulls on Tuesday. The nine-year veteran rejoins the team that drafted him in 2003 and with which he played his first seven professional seasons. "We went into this off-season, it was probably our biggest priority to get a combo guard," Bulls general manager Gar Forman said. "He knows his teammates. We just think its going to be a perfect fit not just for the coming year, but for the future." Hinrich will likely start at point guard for Chicago while star Derrick Rose rehabilitates from left knee surgery. The MVP of the 2010-11 season is expected to be out until at least January, though recent reports suggest that Rose may not return until March. When Rose returns, Hinrich will likely become a key part of a revamped Chicago bench. "We know Derrick is going to take his time to come back and everybody is going to have to step up while hes out," Hinrich said. "Im really looking forward to playing with him as well. I felt like toward the end of my last year here, we played really well together." Rose and Hinrich started 50 games during the 2009-10 season, during which Chicago went 31-19. Now 31, Hinrich has been plagued by injuries since leaving the Bulls, missing a total of 28 games the last two seasons with Washington and Atlanta. Last season, he averaged a career low 6.6 points for the Hawks. "This off-season Ive been working really hard and havent really felt any ill effects," Hinrich said. "Knock on wood. I feel healthy and hopefully will be contributing to a very good team." Hinrich was a mainstay on the Bulls after being drafted in the first round from Kansas in 2003. Chicago made the playoffs in five of his seven seasons with the club. With Rose on the rise in 2010, the Bulls appeared to be on the cusp of big things. However, Hinrich was traded to Washington in a pre-draft trade in 2010 to clear room under the salary cap room for Chicagos failed attempts to sign one of that years major free agents, such as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. "It was disappointment," Hinrich said. "I felt like we were at a place where we were finally ready to be good and I got traded. Thats how it is in this business." Hinrich joins a roster in transition. The cap-strapped Bulls have lost several key parts from one of the leagues top benches this summer, including C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and Omer Asik. Chicago has signed free-agent guard Marco Belinelli, a five-year veteran from Italy who started 55 games for the New Orleans Hornets last season, averaging 11.8 points. "If you look at Marcos career, each and every year he has shown steady improvement," Forman said. "We think that at 26 years old, theres still a lot of upside to his game." Belinelli said he talked with several other teams during his free agency, but felt like joining the Bulls gave him his best chance at a title. "When the Bulls called me, I was so happy because Chicago is maybe a team that can win the championship, and I can play with a star like Derrick Rose," Belinelli said. "I think this is the best opportunity for me to grow up and try to win the championship." When Rose returns, Hinrich will likely team with Belinelli in Chicagos second unit backcourt. Belinellis 39.3 per cent career mark from 3-point range will help replace the outside shooting of Korver, who was traded to Atlanta. "Maybe I can play something more than (Korver)," Belinelli said "I think hes just a shooter. I think maybe I can do something more than him. Im going to try to do my best." Another new Bull will be forward Vladimir Radmanovic, who was teammates with Hinrich in Atlanta last season. "Hes a knockdown shooter," Hinrich said. "Hes one of those guys that can be a matchup problem at (power forward) because its tough for big guys to get out there and check him." The two newest Bulls both expressed excitement at the prospect of playing for Tom Thibodeau, the leagues Coach of the Year for the 2010-11 season and the runner-up last season. "It was evident from watching the way they play that hes a very good coach," Hinrich said. "That was a huge factor in the decision. I was able to talk to him a couple of things and get more comfortable with how he saw things. I think its going to be a good relationship." Kory Lichtensteiger Jersey . The level-headed skipper said all along his young, powerful hitters would eventually put things together. Whether that was wishful thinking or well-placed confidence, Melvin was right. Yoenis Cespedes had his first career four-hit game, including a homer and three RBIs, and the Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 9-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep. Robert Griffin III Red Jersey . David Alaba will be out for up to eight weeks after suffering a fracture in his left foot. Alaba was injured shortly after scoring Bayerns first goal in a 3-2 loss to Napoli in Arco, Italy on Friday. http://www.... . Two days after picking up his architectural design degree from Stanford, the No. 1 overall draft pick returned to Indianapolis to work on football and make his first big steps into the community at a Play 60 camp downtown. [url=http://www.shopredskinsgear.us/perry-riley-redskins-jersey/]Perry Riley Jersey . -- After two disappointing performances from Mac Carruth let the Kamloops Blazers back into their series with the Portland, the Winterhawks goaltender came through when his team needed him most. Brian Orakpo Jersey . -- The Miami Heat said Friday the franchise didnt agree with the one-game suspension given to Dwyane Wade for making contact with Charlottes Ramon Sessions earlier this week. LOS ANGELES -- Tobias Kamke of Germany ousted James Blake of the United States 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (4) in the first round of the Farmers Classic at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Tuesday. Blake lost the first four games of the match and was down 3-1 in the second set. He won five games and jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the final set, only to have Kamke fight back. Kamke won four of the next five games to pull even at 5-5. He then won the final five points of the tiebreaker to hand the 32-year-old Blake his eighth loss in nine matches this year. "I felt great the last two days of practice and I really dont know what happened," Blake said. "I started slow. Even when I was winning, I felt like I was just scrapping out points and not dictating the way I wanted to. When Im not doing that, Im not playing my best and Im not confident, and when youre not confident in a tiebreaker youre going to miss a couple of balls by centimetres or millimeters. "I didnt make a lot of first serves in that tiebreaker and didnt give myself the chances I needed to. I cant do that and expect to win out hhere. Aldrick Robinson Jersey. " Kamkes second-round opponent will be No.6 seed Marinko Matosevic who beat Australian compatriot Chris Guccione 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Blake joined a list of fellow Americans who were eliminated: Jesse Levine, Nicolas Meister and Bradley Klahn. Levine was beaten 6-3, 6-4, by countryman Michael Russell, who at 34 is the oldest player in the field. Russell will next meet top-seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire. Meister, making his ATP Tour debut as a qualifier, fell to No. 5 seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-4, 6-1. Malisses next opponent is Australian Matthew Ebden, who edged German Michael Berrer 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4). Klahn, also a qualifier, lost to Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. Lorenzi will next meet No.4-seeded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. Igor Andreev of Russia ousted Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-4, and his second-round opponent will be Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis, who upset German No.7-seed Bjorn Phau 7-6 (8), 6-4. Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands beat American Steve Johnson 7-6 (4), 6-3, setting up a match with No.2 seed Sam Querrey of the U.S.. ' ' '