Two minutes into Wednesday night’s home game against the Washington Wizards, rookie center Daniel Gafford ran off the court gripping his right thumb.
Not good. Daniel Gafford to the locker room after this. pic.twitter.com/kLoU34A8Qz
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 16, 2020
Based on the broadcast’s feed, it’s hard to tell exactly what happened, but according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Tony Gill, those on the floor could see that Gafford’s thumb “went backward.”
Shortly after he left the game, the Bulls announced he would not return and simply reported a “right thumb injury.” However, The Athletic’s Sham Charania swooped in a couple of minutes later and announced Gafford would miss 2-4 weeks with a dislocated right thumb.
Bulls rookie Daniel Gafford is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks with dislocated right thumb, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Gafford has been starting center in place of Wendell Carter Jr.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 16, 2020
With the Bulls already down Wendell Carter Jr. until at least mid-February, they were relying heavily on Gafford to handle the team’s rim-protecting duties (Michael: Not to mention his presence and performance was at least somewhat exciting while WCJ was out). But now, the team will be down to just Luke Kornet and Cristiano Felicio as the only two centers on the roster. Of course, as a seven-footer, Lauri Markkanen can be shifted over to play underneath the basket as well, though it’s never been his strong suit.
Things continue to get worse. Buckle up.