Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: LaVine, Williams, Jackson, Duarte

October 30th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Zach LaVine says that playing with a ligament tear in his left thumb is difficult but he’ll make it work, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.

“It will be like this for a little bit,” LaVine said. “Knock on wood that nothing happens in the game to where it re-aggravates it. But it has to play its course. They were telling me it’s almost like a Grade 2 ankle sprain but in my thumb. So it’s going to take some time.”

LaVine has shot 20-for-51 from the field over the last three games after exceeding 30 points in his first two outings this season.

We have more from the Central Division:

Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after tearing ligaments in his left wrist. In response, the Bulls will likely go with a smaller lineup, Johnson writes in a separate piece. Individually, Williams loses a year of growth and the ability to establish himself as a two-way force. “When you lose a guy like that who can physically guard a lot of different positions and who has the strength and size to deal with post-up players, it definitely hurts,” coach Billy Donovan said.
The Pistons are still seeking their first win and reserve guard Frank Jackson has struggled with his shooting this season, but he’s holding onto his rotation spot, James Edwards III of The Athletic notes. Jackson was waived by the Thunder last December and Detroit took a flyer on him. He was re-signed to a two-year, $6.2MM deal this summer with a team option. “What got my attention as much as his shooting last year was his defense,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He pursues, he competes defensively. Very athletic with speed and quickness. Then you add shooting on top of that.”
Pacers lottery pick Chris Duarte heard a lot from scouts and executives about his age at the pre-draft camp. The 24-year-old Duarte put a different twist on that concern, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. Duarte responded, “If you want to win games, get me. If you want to win in four years, go ahead and draft a 19-year-old kid. Then you can develop him and make him a superstar in three, four or five years. But you don’t know if he’s going to be a superstar — you don’t know, who knows? So you know what you’re getting now.” Duarte is averaging 18.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG through six games.

Bulls Rule Out Patrick Williams For 4-6 Months Due To Wrist Injury

October 29th, 2021 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

2:57pm: Williams will undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left wrist and is expected to miss approximately four-to-six months, the Bulls announced in a press release.

If Williams can get back within four or five months, that’d put him on track to play again before the regular season ends. However, a six-month recovery would run into late April.

1:10pm: Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the 2021/22 regular season after dislocating his left wrist, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links).

According to Wojnarowski, Williams sustained a perilunate dislocation and will soon undergo surgery. There’s hope that he’ll be able to return for the playoffs, but that’s not a sure thing, Woj adds.

The Bulls have yet to officially confirm Wojnarowski’s report, but head coach Billy Donovan admitted this afternoon that Williams’ injury is “pretty significant,” as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. The injury occurred during Thursday’s game against the Knicks, when Williams was fouled by Mitchell Robinson on a drive to the basket and came down on his wrist (video link). Robinson was assessed with a Flagrant 1 on the play.

It’s a brutal turn of events for Williams, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft who was expected to be a key part of a revamped Bulls roster this season. Many of the team’s top scoring options – Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic – aren’t great defenders, so Williams’ ability to slow down opposing scorers was considered especially valuable.

With Williams unavailable, Chicago’s defense and depth will be tested. As Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweets, Javonte Green, who has averaged just under 16 minutes off the bench in the first five games of the season, looks like the best bet to replace Williams in the starting five.

Bulls Name Joakim Noah Team Ambassador

October 28th, 2021 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Joakim Noah, who will be honored by the Bulls during Thursday night’s game vs. the Knicks, has been named a “Bulls Ambassador,” the team announced in a press release. According to the club, Noah will work with the organization to “build relationships with people throughout Chicago and across Bulls Nation.”

“I’m truly humbled to be honored by both the team and city that I have always loved and respected,” Noah said in a statement. “Even more so to be able to celebrate tonight with family, friends, former players and coaches, and most of all – the Bulls fans who helped drive my energy throughout my years in a Bulls uniform at the United Center. It means so much to me that I’m now a Bull for life. I love you all and am thrilled tonight to solidify my continued connection with the Bulls and the city of Chicago, in this new chapter of my life.”

The ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft, Noah spent the first nine seasons of his 13-year NBA career in Chicago. Although he never averaged more than 12.6 PPG in a season, he was a difference-maker for the Bulls, earning three All-Defensive nods and two All-Star appearances.

Noah’s best year came in 2013/14, when he was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and was voted to the All-NBA First Team. The Bulls made the playoffs in seven consecutive years during his time with the team, appearing in the Eastern Finals once. Noah announced his retirement earlier this year.

Noah’s ambassador role sounds like a fairly casual one, focused primarily on fan outreach. However, if he has interest in transitioning into coaching or a front office position in the future, I imagine the Bulls would be open to accommodating him.

LaVine Discusses Thumb Injury; K.C. Johnson Talks Bulls

October 27th, 2021 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Bulls guard Zach LaVine confirmed that he intends to play through a small ligament tear in his left thumb, but said he’ll be smart about it and won’t take any risks if the medical staff advises against it. “I don’t want to put myself in any danger,” LaVine said (Twitter link via Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago). “I don’t have all the information on it yet. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow and go from there. You know me, I try to play through everything. If I’m able to, I will. If not, we’ll see how it goes.”
Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago discussed a number of Bulls-related topics, including his first impressions of Lonzo Ball and LaVine’s long-term future. “I’d say every indication I’ve been given both internally from his side and the organization is this is a match made to move forward together,” Johnson said of LaVine, who will be a free agent in 2022.

Community Shootaround: NBA’s Undefeated Teams

October 27th, 2021 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2021/22 regular season is only eight days old and no team has played more than four games, but 27 of the league’s 30 teams have already lost at least once. The three undefeated teams left standing are the Bulls (4-0), Warriors (4-0), and Jazz (3-0).

Of those three clubs that have opened the season on winning streaks, Utah is perhaps the least surprising. The Jazz had the NBA’s best record last season and were expected to be in the mix for that honor again in 2021/22 — no team in the Western Conference was projected by oddsmakers to win more regular season games than Quin Snyder‘s club.

Still, the Jazz haven’t faced faced an especially tough test through the first week of the season. Their first two wins came over lottery teams (the Thunder and Kings), and their third opponent (the Nuggets) was missing its two maximum-salary players, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, due to injuries when Utah pulled away in the second half on Tuesday.

The new-look Bulls, led by All-Star Zach LaVine and newcomer DeMar DeRozan, have looked great so far, especially on defense, where they rank fourth in the NBA. But they also haven’t been tested by a top-tier opponent — their first four wins came against Detroit, New Orleans, and Toronto, all of whom are missing key players.

Chicago’s road will get a whole lot tougher starting on Wednesday. Twelve of the Bulls’ next 13 contests will be against playoff teams from last season, and the 13th game will be vs. Golden State, the league’s other unbeaten club.

The Warriors’ hot start may be the most impressive of the bunch — their first two wins were against the Lakers and Clippers, and three of the four have been in road games. I was a little concerned entering the season about Golden State’s depth with Klay Thompson, James Wiseman, and Jonathan Kuminga still on the mend, but a second unit led by Damion Lee, Andre Iguodala, and Nemanja Bjelica has been solid so far, and Stephen Curry (29.0 PPG) has been his usual dominant self.

The Dubs have a chance to keep their hot start going, as they begin an eight-game home stand on Thursday. That stretch will include six games against 2020/21 lottery teams, though some of those clubs – including Chicago and Charlotte – have looked more dangerous in ’21/22.

We want to know what you think. Being undefeated at this point in the season doesn’t mean much – the Magic started last season 4-0, for instance – but do you feel like these teams are for real? Are the Warriors and Bulls playoff-bound? Will the Jazz be the West’s No. 1 seed again? Or do you expect one or two of these clubs to cool off and come back down to earth in the coming days or weeks?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Zach LaVine Plans To Play Through Ligament Tear In Thumb

October 27th, 2021 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been diagnosed with a small ligament tear in the thumb of his non-shooting hand, sources Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

However, according to Charania, LaVine isn’t expected to miss any time due to the injury. His plan is to play through it, since it’s a matter of pain tolerance and he wants to help keep the Bulls’ positive momentum going following their 4-0 start.

LaVine is fortunate that the injury affects his left hand rather than his right, since it would be more difficult to play through a ligament tear in his shooting thumb. Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker underwent surgery to address a similar injury to his right thumb earlier this month and was ruled out for at least four weeks.

Through four games (33.8 MPG), LaVine is off to a strong start in his bid for a second consecutive All-Star nod, averaging 25.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.8 APG with a scorching-hot .500/.444/.952 shooting line.

While Chicago’s undefeated start to the season is impressive, the team’s four victories came against Detroit, New Orleans, and Toronto, with Cade Cunningham, Zion Williamson, and Pascal Siakam on the shelf. The Bulls will face more significant tests starting this week — they face New York on Thursday and Utah on Saturday, with contests vs. Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Golden State, and both L.A. teams to follow.

Central Notes: DeRozan, Allen, Mobley, Bucks

October 26th, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have adopted an aggressive strategy to win right away, which made them a perfect fit for what DeMar DeRozan was looking for in free agency, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Since last season’s trade deadline, Chicago has been pushing to build a playoff-ready roster, which included pursuing DeRozan even after adding Lonzo Ball. The early results have been positive as the Bulls are the NBA’s lone 4-0 team and the only unbeaten team left in the Eastern Conference.

DeRozan’s value was on display Monday night in a gritty road victory against the Raptors. With a large second-half lead in danger of slipping away, he hit a series of important buckets to close out the game.

“That was part of the reason why I even chose to come to Chicago, everyone was eager to want to be successful, to want to win,” DeRozan said. “Everybody had that chip on their shoulder from the city, to the organization, to the players that I spoke to. Coming into this season, that was everybody’s mindset. ‘It’s all about winning now. We’re not in a development stage. We want to win now.’ That was my mindset.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Jarrett Allen looked worthy of the Cavaliers‘ $100MM investment during Monday’s win at Denver, observes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Allen put up 21 points and 16 rebounds in a virtual standoff against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. “It’s hard to put in words, but Jarrett Allen has my full trust,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “He has my full trust that what we’re doing as a team is more important than anything that could happen for him individually. And that comes from time spent last year, a lot of conversations, a lot of time over the summer.”
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is already a standout in a strong rookie class, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. The third overall pick has been as good as advertised defensively while adding another perimeter threat to Cleveland’s offense. Mobley looks capable of becoming “The Guy” on a good team, which is something the Cavs had been missing, says Hollinger.
The Bucks believe last year’s title could be the first of many, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. With Giannis Antetokounmpo in his prime and a strong supporting cast in place, Milwaukee may be the team to beat for several years. “We definitely have a lot more confidence in ourselves,” Khris Middleton said. “It’s natural, we should. We are the champs. We’ve been through every type of situation you could go through. So at the same time, you know what to expect. There’s no need to worry about failing because you know what you need to do.”

Ball, Caruso Bring Chaos Defensively

October 24th, 2021 at 6:58pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso have been bringing chaos defensively, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times examines. The pair’s strong defensive effort is a key reason why Chicago is 3-0 to start the season. “(Ball and Caruso are) so active (defensively) you’ve got to be aware of them,’’ LaVine said, as relayed by Cowley. “Even for guys like me and DeMar DeRozan), it helps us be in the passing lanes more, get some extra rebounds because then guys’ rhythm is off. They’re effort and energy bleeds throughout us as a team.’’

Central Notes: Cunningham, Green, Pacers, Mobley

October 24th, 2021 at 1:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham is set to miss Detroit’s entire early-season road trip due to a lingering ankle injury, but could be ready to make his NBA debut on October 30 against the Magic, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Cunningham, 20, is apparently still dealing with some soreness.

“Last week, we made the decision to make sure we bring him back gradually, where he’d get some time with the G League team (the Motor City Cruise), practice with them, and get some reps with them,” head coach Dwane Casey said of the top draft pick out of Oklahoma State. “The medical people are holding back — and rightfully so… You don’t want to rush him back if it’s not 100%. That’s the one thing that they want to make sure of, that it was 100%, because there were certain movements he had that were still sore.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Reserve forward Javonte Green has already endeared himself to the Bulls faithful since coming over to Chicago at the 2021 trade deadline, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Tribune. “(Green is) one of the biggest energy guys we have,’’ Bulls starting point guard Lonzo Ball said. “Not only running the lane but playing defense. He can guard a lot of different positions, and he uses his hands very well… We definitely feed off of that when he comes into the game.’’
Pacers guard Jeremy Lamb and forward Oshae Brissett are proving their mettle as galvanizing scorers off the bench so far this season, according to Akeem Glaspie of The Indianapolis Star. “A lot of the time the starters are not gonna be able to have it completely going and be able to make shots,” starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “But as long as we defend and the second team comes in and gives us some energy and a spark off the bench offensively, we’re gonna be fine.” Indiana is currently 1-2 in this young season.
Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his assistants have been showing film of some NBA legends to rookie big man Evan Mobley, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Mobley, the third pick in the 2021 draft out of USC, was utilized much like Hall of Fame big man Kevin Garnett on defense during a 101-95 Cleveland win over the Hawks. He has also watched game tape of future Hall of Fame power forward/center Dirk Nowitzki, as well as current All-Star bigs Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. “He’s asking me to emulate them but knows I’m still my own player,” Mobley said about Bickerstaff’s strategy. “I try to play my game, take bits and pieces from them, but still be myself and play how I play.” Mobley, already the Cavaliers’ starting power forward, is averaging 15.7 PPG, 8.3 APG, 2.3 BPG and 1.3 APG through three games. Cleveland is 1-2 in those contests.

Karnisovas Trying To Emulate Suns' Success

October 20th, 2021 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns’ ability to make the Finals with a young group fortified by key veteran additions helped convince Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to take an aggressive approach to the offseason, Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated writes. “It was very motivating to see how big a jump a team like Phoenix was able to make,” Karnisovas said. Herring takes a close look at how the pieces acquired by the Bulls could fit together.