The Bulls’ Biggest Problem? Health
2 years into the rebuild and the Bulls aren’t 100% sure on what they have with their current group of players. That’s because a familiar problem for the Bulls organization has hung over them once again this season… Health!
Yes, the Bulls once again are an injury-ravaged team. Denzel Valentine has missed the entire season, Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn have missed over 20 games. Markkanen who experienced extreme fatigue and an elevated heart rate was shut down for the remainder of the season. Dunn is doubtful to return. Otto Porter Jr. who is dealing with a shoulder injury, as well as Zach Lavine who has missed various games this season with several bumps and buries, are both all but officially done.
The Bulls two rookies Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchinson both also were sidelined for the season with a fractured thumb and fractured toe respectively. With the Bulls so shorthanded, several players from the Bulls G League team, the Windy City Bulls, were called up to fill roster spots.
Photo: sportsillustrated.com
The Bulls have had to adopt a “next man up” mantra, which is a line Bulls fans are all too familiar with. It was the phrase often used by the Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau often had to use players such as Nate Robinson and John Lucas III to fill in for often injured pg Derrick Rose. While Rose’s durability has been called into question, as well as Thibb’s minute allocations. Something that has not to be called in to question, as nearly as often, is the quality of the Bulls medical staff personnel. Make no mistake the Bulls medical staff are certainly no one hit wonders, try this on for size. Back in 2009, former Bulls forward Luol Deng was out with an injured leg.
The Bulls medical staff diagnosed him as being day to day, and even put out a public statement that Deng needed to challenge himself to play, questioning his toughness, then low and behold it is discovered, that Deng had a stress fracture in his leg. Or how about when Deng had the common flu, which the Bulls misdiagnosed for meningitis! Having Deng undergo a spinal tap, which went wrong and nearly killed him.
Photo: chicagotribune.com
There’s a chance that the Bulls medical team could also share some blame in the most infamous injury in all of Bulls history. In the 2011-2012 season(a season shortened due to lockout) Derrick Rose would encounter various injuries. He missed 5 games due to a sprained toe in January, he then missed 5 games in February, due to back issues. In April Rose would miss 12 games due to a strained groin, and then again in April, he sat out due to a sprained ankle. Later that month on April 28th, Rose would crumble to the floor with a torn ACL. It’s not hard to believe that he was cleared to return to action too soon from his various injuries, and trying to compensate for those injuries, he put to much stress on his knee, causing his ACL to snap.
Photo: @tnak414
The Bulls medical staff has shown countless times, they can not properly diagnose an injury or timeline for a players return. Valentine was day to day before it was announced he would require surgery and miss the entire season, Markkanen was day to day, but missed the first 23 games of the season with his elbow injury. Wendell Carter Jr. was day to day, then announced to be out for the season, with his hand requiring surgery. Chandler Hutchison fractured his toe, and then played 40 mins the next game, guess what? He would be out for the season as well, once the fracture was discovered.
Yes, injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and are often times just bad luck. But the evidence is there, that the Bulls medical staff, do not possess the medical knowledge that is needed to correctly diagnose their player’s, or how to get them and keep them healthy.
If the Bulls rebuild is to succeed, a new medical staff is needed much more than a change in the front office. This organization is in need of medical staff, that can keep the Bulls up and running.
Photo: sportsillustrated.com, chicagotribune.com, @tnak414
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