The Chicago Bulls have a difficult schedule coming up, but fans shouldn’t panic. The team has been playing without key players and missing their presence, especially against top competition.
Chicago Bulls Injuries: Let’s See How Each Is Doing
Lonzo Ball injured his left knee on January 25th and was projected to be out 6-8 weeks.
Alex Caruso was injured on January 24th. Along with Ball, he was projected to be out 6-8 weeks.
Patrick Williams broke his left wrist on October 29th. This injury was supposed to keep him out for the season, although that won’t be the case.
Arturas Karnisovis made a statement on February 10th, saying that Patrick Williams will be back this season, but the timeline is still unknown.
Personally, I hope all three will be back by this time next month.
1. Continue Next Man Up Mentality
The Chicago Bulls have been unfortunate with injuries, but there have been upsides. This refers to the Bulls’ next man-up mentality.
Every sport preaches on the idea of stepping up when it’s your turn to shine. Furthermore, the Bulls roster has done just that.
With missing Ball and Caruso, players that have stepped up for them such as Coby White and the rookie Ayo Dosunmu.
Ayo Dosunmu in particular has played beyond expectations. He has provided similar to what Lonzo would bring which is playmaking and perimeter defense.
To add on, Ayo was recently ranked sixth on the NBA Rookie Rankings.
Another player who has stepped up is Javonte Green. He has been Chicago’s energizer all season through his high motor. Also, his defense and high-flying dunks help provide momentum for the team.
2. Chicago Bulls: Win the Expected Games
Expected wins from now to March 20th:
Hawks (3/3)
Pistons (3/9)
Cavaliers (3/12)
Kings (3/14)
These are what I considered to be the expected victories for the Chicago Bulls. Unfortunately, the schedule is going to be tougher coming up so only four games made the list.
The Bulls will need to win these games, as the Eastern conference is tight. The race is so close that the sixth seeded Celtics are only 3.5 games back from the Bulls.
Hopefully, the Chicago Bulls can at the very least, win these games.
3. Compete Against the Best
Tough competition from now to March 20th:
Heat (2/28)
Bucks (3/4)
76ers (3/7)
Jazz (3/16)
Suns (3/18)
For any team, the goal is to compete. The Chicago Bulls must prioritize this, as previously mentioned, the standings are close. Under little exception should the Bulls be blown out when DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic are all healthy.
With that being said the Bulls should aim to win at least three of these five games. However, if the Bulls are unable to win many of these games, do not panic.
Losing these games will affect tiebreakers against their competition, but the team needs to worry about competing. Moreover, fans should be hopeful heading into the playoffs with a healthy roster, assuming they can compete in these games.
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