NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls will be without their man in the middle for the foreseeable future.
Here’s the latest from Shams Charnia of The Athletic:
MRI on Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. revealed a high right ankle sprain and likely to miss multiple weeks, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Bulls will evaluate Carter on daily basis.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2020
Sources inform Charnia that Wendell Carter Jr. will likely miss a few weeks due to a high ankle sprain he suffered in last Monday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks. An MRI reportedly revealed the high ankle sprain, which occurred when Carter fell and landed on Dwight Powell’s foot after putting up a shot in the paint. After trainers and teammates helped get Carter to his feet, he was sent to the locker room in a wheelchair and ruled out for the remainder of the game with what was initially ruled a right ankle sprain.
Now that we know it is a high ankle sprain, we have a better idea as to how much time Carter could miss. Ankle injuries of this severity could cause him to be out 4-6 weeks. No matter how many games Carter misses, losing him for an extended period is a tough blow to a struggling Bulls team that is already without Otto Porter Jr. in its starting front court.
How the Bulls fill in Carter’s minutes is still to be determined. Big man Daniel Gafford is a likely candidate to see the largest increase in playing time. Lauri Markkanen could see some time at the 5-spot, as well. In that case, then Thaddeus Young could slide into the 4-spot on the floor. And if that’s how it plays out, it would keep Luke Kornet and Cristiano Felicio from playing meaningful minutes in the frontcourt.
In any case, losing Carter stings and the 13-25 Bulls’ up-hill climb out cluster of the Eastern Conference also-rans will be tougher without him.
