The Chicago Bulls are heading to South Beach this weekend, where they’ll hope to avenge a close 116-113 Thursday home loss to the Miami Heat in back-to-back road clashes.
But Chicago will be looking to avoid extending their current losing skid to four games without six critical contributors.
Among the long-term rotational absences, backup center Zach Collins — the Bulls’ best rim protector — remains on the shelf until likely after the All-Star break with a right first toe sprain. He’s currently still in a walking boot. Backup point guard Tre Jones is out for at least another week with a strained left hamstring.
Per the NBA’s latest injury report, four other key pieces could be riding pine, too.
The Bulls Could Miss Major Surprise Pieces Against the Heat
Point guard Josh Giddey, who missed the Heat loss on Thursday, has seen his status upgraded to “questionable” as he manages a left hamstring injury. He apparently reaggravated the ailment during Wednesday’s unacceptable defeat to the 12-36 Indiana Pacers.
Power forward/center Jalen Smith exited the Miami game at the half with right calf tightness and did not return. The 6-foot-8 Maryland product, a plus-minus king this year, is also questionable for Saturday. Chicago is 0-7 when Smith doesn’t play. With Collins already sitting, the Bulls’ frontcourt could potentially be insanely thin. And that’s before we even get to the next name on the injury report…
Bulls starting center Nikola Vucevic, 35, has been listed as “doubtful” to play Saturday. The Bulls apparently intend to rest him for the first night in a back-to-back slate.
Starting shooting guard Coby White has been downgraded to “questionable,” with the Bulls seeking to likely stagger his availability as they manage his lingering right calf injury.
© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesIs Chicago Throwing The Game?
Sort of?
The Bulls rarely outright tank, which is probably to the organization’s own detriment. But if six of their top eight players sit (neither Matas Buzelis nor Ayo Dosunmu is on Chicago’s injury report yet), the Bulls will essentially be pre-emptively forfeiting this matchup.
It’s a strategic play, as Chicago is wrapping up a brutal slate of five games in seven nights. The Bulls have dropped all of their first three bouts in this span. With another game to play Sunday against Miami, the Bulls seem to be taking a strategic breather Saturday with an eye on winning then.
Dosunmu, Buzelis, Isaac Okoro and Kevin Huerter will likely need to shoulder more of the scoring burden — regardless of which combination of these players sits. Rookie two-way signing Lachlan Olbrich might get actual rotation minutes, thanks to this very banged-up Bulls frontcourt.
That said, Miami is feeling the pain, too.
© Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesProlific Heat Guards Down for the Count
Heat All-Star Tyler Herro remains on the shelf with a rib injury. But Miami’s top scorer this year, new backcourt addition Norman Powell, will sit out Saturday due to personal reasons. This is a surprise development. On Thursday, the 6-foot-3 UCLA product paced the Heat with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from the foul line.
Guard Davion Mitchell is doubtful to return to Kaseya Center healthy from a left shoulder sprain on Saturday. Miami point guard Terry Rozier remains away from the team thanks to his ongoing federal investigation.
© Jim Rassol-Imagn ImagesThe Trade Deadline Countdown Continues
Chicago team president Arturas Karnisovas, who apparently is quite impressionable, seems to be changing his mind on his approach to next week’s Feb. 5 trade deadline every time the Bulls play.
So whenever Chicago players miss out on a clash, that’s critical Karnisovas analysis time slipping away. Granted, we all know what this team is (another play-in fail waiting to happen) and what it isn’t (a team worth keeping together after the deadline). But conflicting reports have suggested that Karnisovas is alternately aiming to be a buyer or a seller this season.
Clearly, the guy doesn’t understand how useless these Bulls are.
A Heat game played by Bulls scrubs seems doomed to only prolong Karnisovas’ decision-making.
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