NEWSLETTER
Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
Well, considering you’re reading this and can’t answer, I’ll just assume you said good news.
Second-year forward Chandler Hutchison has slowly, but surely, been working his way back from a hamstring issue. Hutchison missed the entirety of the preseason, and now the team’s first three regular-season matchups. Our last update on Hutchison’s status came before the Bulls season-opener against the Hornets, when Jim Boylen told The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry that Hutchison had “one heck of a workout.”
While an exact timetable for his return still hasn’t been provided, the Chicago Bulls announced earlier today that Hutchison will be joining the Windy City Bulls:
OFFICIAL: Chandler Hutchison has been assigned to the Windy City Bulls. pic.twitter.com/KaGfdnWtQo
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 28, 2019
Before you freak out, this is a good sign. NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson reported Hutchison will be joining the team for practice reps. And considering Hutchison hasn’t played in an NBA game since Jan. 25th (and wasn’t on the court throughout Training Camp) this feels like a smart approach.
Throwing Hutchison out into the wild might only hurt him and the Bulls more, even with this team in desperate need of suitable wing depth. Boylen has expressed his intent to fit Hutchison back into the rotation when he rejoins the team, so making sure he’s 100 percent is key. The Bulls have an incredibly favorable early-season slate, and if you’re going to try to get by undermanned at the wing, now would be the time.
Hutchison isn’t going to be this team’s saving grace in any category, but he certainly could provide length and athleticism that’s desperately welcomed on the defensive end of the ball.
And even more of a reason to get him back fully prepared … Otto Porter isn’t looking too hot.
We might be working with a small sample size, but the veteran forward has been underwhelming. Through the team’s first three games, Porter is averaging only 7.3 points. His shooting numbers? Real bad. He’s posting 26.1 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from downtown. Again, we’re talking about only three games here, but it’s a pretty shocking start for a guy who shot over 40 percent from both the field and three last season.
The slow start has raised questions about Porter’s overall health, and rightfully slow. If you’ve been watching, you’ve seen how sluggish he’s looked.
Johnson reported after the Bulls home-opening loss to the Raptors that sources said the Bulls are “monitoring Porter’s hip.” Yikes. Porter’s also coming off an elbow to the face which required six stitches in his mouth.
I’m worried, but I’ll hold back any panic. Porter told Johnson he’s “100 percent” ready to go for tonight’s game against the Knicks, at least with respect to the face injury. But that hip question lingers for me.
It’s very possible the poor start is simply a factor of trying to build chemistry. Porter isn’t the only Bull who’s struggled to gain momentum, and that’s something he commented on when speaking with Johnson.
“It’s only a few games,” Porter told Johnson. “We’re still getting our legs up under us. We’re still learning as a group. We’re still learning our identity. The 3-point shots, as long as we can continue to take them at a high clip, we’ll start making them. We’re not shying away from shooting 3s. We’re going to continue to shoot them and start making them.”
Let’s keep our fingers crossed. A banged-up Porter would lead to a messed-up Bulls team.
