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Bulls center Luke Kornet suffers major injury in practice

Chicago Bulls center Luke Kornet suffered a recent injury in practice that has turned out to essentially be season-ending.

Kornet sustained a left foot and ankle injury during February 21 Bulls practice. Subsequent testing revealed that he has a severe ankle sprain and fracture of his fifth metatarsal.

He is estimated to be out 6-to-8 weeks. The final Bulls game of the regular season is around seven weeks from now.

In 15.5 minutes per game this season, Kornet is averaging 6.0 points.

The Bulls are 20-39 this season and have lost nine of their last 10 games.

Wendell Carter Jr. set to return for Bulls

The Bulls should have young center Wendell Carter Jr. back in action soon. Possibly tomorrow. Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times:

Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. watched Friday night as other first- and second-year NBA players ran up and down the United Center court during the Rising Stars game. He wanted to join them but couldn’t because of the high ankle sprain he suffered Jan. 6 in a loss to the Mavericks…

Carter participated in most of practice at the Advocate Center and hinted he could return to the lineup Thursday night against the Hornets.

In other good news, forward Otto Porter Jr., who has been out with a foot injury since November, was a full participant in practice, though his return timeline is still uncertain.

The Bulls are in a state of rebuild. The squad is all about the future. As for the present, winning would be nice, but the team’s main goal should be to develop young talent, like Carter.

Bulls guard Kris Dunn out 4-6 more weeks

Chicago Bulls guard Kris Dunn underwent an MRI and re-examination on Friday, Feb. 14 by Dr. Brian Cole at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. He will continue his current rehabilitation program of his medial collateral ligament sprain for the next 4-6 weeks before progressing to functional training. A determination will be made at that time if additional treatment is required.

According to ESPN.com, “Dunn has started in 32 of Chicago’s games this season and is six starts from reaching starter criteria and seeing his $4.6 million qualifying offer this offseason increase to $7.1 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.”

And the Chicago Tribune reports the following:

Before his injury, Dunn was having a resurgence of sorts. Originally billed as a fast-paced scoring guard when he was picked fifth by the Timberwolves in 2015, he had become a major cog in the Bulls defense and provided one of the rare bright spots on a team with few positives.

Zach LaVine doing his thing for Bulls

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times discussing Zach LaVine and the Bulls:

Going into the break, LaVine was averaging 28.3 points over his last four games, while shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from three-point range. And oh by the way, also averaging 5.5 assists and five rebounds per game.

The problem is the Bulls also went into the All-Star Weekend losers of six straight.

“I’ve been able to deal with ups and downs really well this year, like a roller coaster,’’ LaVine said. “I feel I’ve been able to be pretty even keeled and not get too high on the highs or too low on the lows, and just lock in and be prepared for each game.’’

At 19-36, the Bulls sit 10th in the Eastern conference. It’s tough for their offense to improve until additional big-time scorers emerge, or get added to the roster. This season, power forward Lauri Markkanen is putting up 15.0 points per game, but nobody else on the roster is even scoring 12 PPG.

Perhaps Otto Porter Jr., who has played in his nine games this season, can add a boost when he returns to action, which could happen later this month.

A quick look at Tom Thibodeau Bulls history

Here’s the Chicago Sun Times with a look at former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who says his passion is definitely still in coaching:

In his five years as the head coach of the Bulls, the franchise was 255-139 (.647 winning percentage), posted a franchise-best 86 consecutive-game streak without losing more than two games in a row, and led the league in close-game winning percentage at .626 (66-40).

All of that even with a horrific torn anterior cruciate ligament derailing Derrick Rose’s career, as well as the dynasty the franchise thought it was building.

Thibodeau only had Rose for 47 percent of the games he coached with the Bulls, and when Rose was on the floor, the coach won 73 percent of those games.

We have to think that eventually, Thibs will get an NBA head coaching job again. The only question is when.

Bulls guard/forward Max Strus suffers major injury, out 8-12 months

Chicago Bulls guard/forward Max Strus sustained a torn ACL and bone bruise to his left knee on Dec. 21 in the Windy City Bulls game against the Lakeland Magic at the G League Winter Showcase. The diagnosis was confirmed today by an MRI and a physical exam.

Strus will undergo surgery in approximately three weeks after his swelling and discomfort resolves, and he is expected to be out for eight-to-12 months.

The Bulls signed Strus to a Two-Way contract on Oct. 22. He averaged 2.5 points through two appearances for the Bulls this season. In the G League, Strus averaged 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 13 games for Windy City.

Will Zach LaVine make the 2020 All-Star team?

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on scoring guard Zach LaVine, who this season is averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game for the Bulls (12-19):

In his last 15 games, LaVine is averaging 27.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists and is shooting 45.4 percent from three-point range. That stretch includes a career-high 49-point game in which he went 13-for-17 from behind the arc.

‘‘His last 13 or 14 games, he’s played All-Star basketball,’’ [Chicago Bulls head coach Jim] Boylen said before the game against the Pistons. ‘‘I don’t think anybody can fight that. And before that, he was playing very good basketball, so he’s taking it to another level.’’

The East guard spot is a crowded field this year in regard to All-Star candidates. A number of players have an excellent case to claim one of a very limited number of spots.

Chance The Rapper and Common will perform at the 2020 NBA All-Star game

Three-time Grammy Award winners and Chicago natives Chance The Rapper and Common will headline musical performances at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 16 at United Center in Chicago.

Chance The Rapper’s brother, fellow rap artist Taylor Bennett, will perform at halftime of NBA Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 14 at United Center.

The 69th annual game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, Common will welcome fans to Chicago with anarrative about what basketball means to the city. This prior to introducing players from both teams before tip-off of the NBA All-Star Game.

At halftime, Chance The Rapper and special guests will perform a medley of chart-topping hits, including tracks from his first studio album, The Big Day.

In Bulls news, Otto Porter Jr. will miss at least four more weeks

Chicago Bulls small forward Otto Porter Jr. hasn’t played since November 6, and the team today confirmed he is not close to returning to action.

Porter Jr, the team says, underwent an examination yesterday which confirmed the bone injury and healing response in Porter’s left foot to be consistent with a small fracture that has become more clearly defined in recent weeks.

Porter will continue his current period of immobilization and progress as tolerated over the next four weeks, and then re-evaluated.

Porter is listed at 6-foot-8, 198 pounds. He is 26 years old, played college ball at Georgetown, was drafted third overall by the Wizards in 2013, and played multiple seasons for Washington before his time with the Bulls. His NBA career average is 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

The Bulls are 8-17 this season, which is the East’s 11th best team record.

Bulls forward Otto Porter out at least two more weeks

 

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Chicago Bulls small forward Otto Porter Jr. has only played nine games this season and hasn’t played since November 6, and today it was confirmed by the team that he will miss at least a few more weeks.

An MRI on Porter’s left foot this Wednesday revealed continued bone edema.

Following a brief period of immobilization, Porter will engage in a program of non-impact activities and targeted therapy.

In two weeks, he will be examined again, and his status updated.

This season for the 8-14 Bulls, Porter in nine games, all as a starter, is averaging just 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25.1 minutes per outing.

The team is being led in scoring by Zach LaVine at 22.5 points per game, but no other Bull is scoring as much as 14 PPG.

Chicago’s defense has been above average this NBA season, but their offense has been one of the least efficient in the league.