Chicago Bulls star Josh Giddey could actually take the floor again, for the first time in three weeks, as soon as Tuesday!
K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports that the 6-foot-7 point guard, who has missed the Bulls’ last 10 contests with a left hamstring strain, has seen his status for a home encounter with the ascendant Los Angeles Clippers upgraded to “questionable.”
On Sunday, Giddey laced up his sneakers for his first five-on-five action since first suffering the injury. He practiced with Chicago’s G League affiliate in Hoffman Estates, the Windy City Bulls, before being quickly recalled and brought back to the United Center.
LA finds itself on a 12-2 tear, behind a thoroughly reinvigorated Kawhi Leonard. The two-time Finals MVP small forward, in a very predictable twist, will sit out at least the Clippers’ next two contests with knee irritation.
Remaining future Hall of Famer James Harden will now get to become the heliocentric hub of LA’s offense once again, in the absence of Leonard.
Were the Clippers’ record a bit stronger than 18-23, the 2018 MVP would likely make his 12th All-Star squad on the strength of his contributions. The 6-foot-5 Arizona State product has been averaging 25.8 points on .423/.347/.896 shooting splits, 8.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 38 healthy games for LA.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesWhat Josh Giddey’s Return Would Mean for Chicago
Bringing Giddey back before the trade deadline might actually hinder the team long-term.
As a bona fide floor-raiser, the dynamic young playmaker could improve the 20-22 Bulls enough to potentially dissuade Chicago president Arturas Karnisovas from necessary teardown trades.
The 23-year-old Aussie has been averaging 19.2 points while slashing .466/.386/.761, 9.0 assists, and 8.9 rebounds a night. Chicago has gone just 4-8 in the various games he’s sat this year. The team has notched a far more competent 16-14 record with Giddey at the helm, even including the half-game he played against the Minnesota Timberwolves in December before his hamstring injury.
The Bulls are heading into a stretch this week against three competitive clubs that have posted a combined 21-9 record across their last 10 games. LA, for instance, has gone 8-2 of late.
Giddey would cut into minutes for obvious trade chips, Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu, and his presence would hurt at least the touches of another key potential trade piece, Coby White.
Nobody should be untouchable on this flawed, mismatched Chicago roster, but Giddey and Buzelis — thanks to their age, size, and upside — are likely going to be the toughest Bulls for rival teams to pry away.
Other Bulls Absences vs Clippers
$90 million man Patrick Williams sat out Sunday’s 124-102 blowout against a blatantly tanking Brooklyn Nets team. Brooklyn was resting star forward Michael Porter Jr. after an accidental 128-126 win against Chicago on Friday.
Per Johnson, Williams has also been upgraded to questionable. He hasn’t really made much of an impact.
The 6-foot-6 FSU product has been abysmal this year, somehow regressing from his already-lackluster output over his first five seasons. In 18.4 minutes per, Williams has been averaging 6.5 points on .374/.397/.683 shooting splits, 2.9 boards, 1.2 dimes, and 0.7 swipes. His impact isn’t somehow between the margins, if that’s what his defenders are thinking. Williams is notching a dismal -13.5 on/off rating.
Obviously, rookie forward Noa Essengue remains shelved for the season as he rehabs from a shoulder surgery. The 6-foot-8 Frenchman, selected one pick ahead of Derik Queen for no good reason, had been a purely developmental piece anyway and was not a part of Billy Donovan’s rotations even before going down.
Backup center Zach Collins will be sidelined through at least the All-Star break thanks to a “significant sprain” in his big toe. Thanks to this, the 6-foot-9 Gonzaga product’s trade value, even as an expiring $18.1 million contract has thus likely deteriorated significantly.
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