10:47am: Rondo has a cast on his right hand and will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed today (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of ESPN.com).
Meanwhile, with Rondo out, Grant will start at the point and Carter-Williams will back him up, Hoiberg said (Twitter link via Friedell). Cameron Payne will also be active (Twitter link).
10:04am: Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo suffered a hand injury in Game 2 of the team’s series against the Celtics, and Chicago announced today in a press release that he has been diagnosed with a fractured right thumb. While surgery isn’t required at this time, Rondo will be out “indefinitely,” according to the Bulls.
The injury will make things difficult for a Bulls team that has enjoyed a strong showing from “Playoff Rondo” in the first two games of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Although Chicago remains the favorite in the series, with a 2-0 lead and two home games on tap, the team will have to find a way to win without Rondo, who was a difference-maker in those first two games. The former Celtic averaged 11.5 PPG, 10.0 APG, 8.5 RPG, and 3.5 SPG in the Bulls’ two victories in Boston.
With Rondo out of the lineup, the Bulls figure to turn to Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams for minutes at the point. Grant has been Rondo’s primary backup in the first two games of the series, while Carter-Williams saw a little playing time in Game 2. Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler will likely assume more of the ball-handling responsibilities in Rondo’s absence as well.
Wow that’s huge. I don’t think the Bulls can get it done without him, even up 2-0.
No chance in the playoffs, no decent draft picks, no real shot at significant free agents, no tradable assets to build around your franchise player… just another typical useless season from the Chicago Bulls.
Why bother getting to the playoffs with this team roster? Makes no sense.
So they can beat Boston, which still wouldn’t shock me.
Small concession for a team going nowhere in the foreseeable future.
Sure, but a playoff series win is still something to be proud of. Boston hasn’t done it in years so I’m still not super impressed with them.
We have higher expectations than that. Bulls fans don’t care about first round playoff wins…been there, done that often.
What a “fan”, his team is up 2-0 in a playoff series and he’s trashing them and crying, because he’s concerned regarding the future of the team… Too bad Rondo got hurt, they were playing well, let’s see what happens now… By the way, i’m a Knicks fan and i rooted for them to win every single game this season, even though they were mediocre. I’ll let management worry about the future of the franchise, and even if they still bad next year, i will still root for them, that’s what fans do…
If you don’t care enough to formulate opinions, why waste your time reading comments?
Mindless Knicks fans are as much to blame for dysfunction in that organization as the the owner and front office are.
Let me put it to you this way… I watch sports, but at the end of the day, it’s just entertainment… Even if the teams i root for win championships year after year, i get Nothing in return that makes my life better… I like reading the comments because there’s a few smart, intelligent and knowledgeable fans, with interesting things to say. Then there’s that ones that just whine and troll… So the “mindless Knicks fans” are to blame for the dysfunction of the team, huh? Man, you’re “smarter” than i thought…
If it were just entertainment, I doubt you’d be wasting your time criticizing fans of other teams about their comments on message forum. And yeah, that’s pretty dumb. No nice way to say that.
You can doubt all you want, you’re entitled to your own opinion, even if you sound dumb… Sports are entertainment, you’re just to stupid to realize that, and that’s why i criticize the stupid ones who take it too serious… And no one is dumber than you, who thinks fans have an impact on the way teams play… lol
Sounds like a typical Reinsdorf team. The guys he put in charge just aren’t getting it done. And I believe the Red Sox fleeced Williams on the Sale trade. Time will tell though.