INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- Rip Hamilton can wear his head band when he plays, although whether the recently acquired shooting guard will appear in the preseason remains to be seen.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said he was not comfortable with putting Hamilton in the game after only having participated in one practice and one shootaround with the team.

"[Thursday] was my first day of practice getting in tune with everybody, the guys on the team, learning a new system, offensively and defensively, so it's a lot," Hamilton said. "I just want to be fully prepared. [Thibodeau] thought so, too, that I should be fully prepared before I go on the floor."

Hamilton said he didn't know if he would be fully prepared in time for Tuesday's exhibition finale against the Pacers at the United Center.

"He'll get up to speed pretty quickly," Thibodeau said. "[Friday}, even with just one day of practice, he seemed a lot more comfortable. I'm confident he'll move along."

Meanwhile, general manager Gar Forman said Hamilton will be allowed to wear his signature headband when he does take the floor. It has been a long-standing organizational policy that players not wear headbands but an exception will be made for Hamilton, who also wears a plastic mask after twice breaking his nose.

"He needs it to hold on his mask," Forman said. "The sweat drips down. It's an exception to [the policy]."