Missing Dunn, Making History For the Wrong Reasons, Needing LaVine to Score Big, and Other Bulls Bullets

Rumor has it if Punxsutawney Phil dunks a basketball, we get six weeks of winning Bulls basketball.

Did anyone see if he did?

  • The Chicago Bulls have suffered with the respective absences of Otto Porter, Wendell Carter Jr., Daniel Gafford, Lauri Markkanen, and Kris Dunn over the course of this season. That’s five of the team’s most vital rotation players who have all been sidelined for an extended period at some point this season, the most recent being defensive anchor Kris Dunn. On Saturday, Dunn flew back to Chicago to visit team doctors after suffering a right knee injury in Friday night’s game. While we haven’t received any official word, a string of missed games looks to be in his future. As another player falls to injury, it only feels necessary for me to remind this organization that this ISN’T an excuse for the debacle of a season we’ve watched. The Bulls are still 0-17 against the top-8 teams in the Eastern Conference in a season in which the team expressed making the playoffs was the goal. They have ONE win over an above-.500 team thus far. And that isn’t a product of injury trouble, it’s a product of bad coaching and poor player development. Changes must be made.
  • UPDATE: NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson reported Sunday morning that a preliminary exam showed an MCL sprain and there is no timetable for a return yet. Chandler Hutchison will start in his place. We’ll update you with any more information.
  • Dunn’s absence could prove brutal against the Bulls’ upcoming opponents. The Raptors, Pelicans, and 76ers all sport an All-Star backcourt player who Dunn has been pivotal in guarding in the past. Jim Boylen commented on what the Bulls would be missing with Dunn off the court and, uh, it sounds like basically everything.
  • If there is any silver lining here, it’s that slowly these injured players should be finding their way back on the court. Gafford participated in practice yesterday and will play today.
  • As for Porter (who has been out since November 6), he might be ready to go right after the All-Star break. According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Porter spent some time at the end of practice shooting. Progress (even if it is minimal) feels good.
  • I think Zach LaVine will need one of those 40+ performances to keep the Bulls alive today.
  • The Bulls schedule hasn’t felt incredibly difficult lately, but it’s been jam-packed. Considering we’ve been overwhelmed by bad basketball, it’s a bit refreshing to know after today, the Bulls will play only seven games in 26 days.
  • See, the Bulls are making history!
  • In today’s edition of “the Eastern Conference is a freaking mess:”
  • The doubleheader nobody asked for! The Bulls play on the same day as the Super Bowl for the first time since 2003. So while you’re preparing all your fun snacks for the big game, you can turn on the Bulls game and add your special ingredient … tears!
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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