We couldn’t even make it to Media Day without a frustrating Chicago Bulls injury update.
According to The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry, Patrick Williams faced a setback last month as he continues to work his way back from foot surgery. The forward has rested in recent weeks, but his status for the beginning of the season now appears to be up in the air.
More thoughts …
- Is it possible that a little extra rest will put Williams back on the right track by next week? Sure. We can’t rule anything out until we hear from him and the organization. But I’ve been burned one too many times by the Bulls to assume the best. Even the initial handling of Williams’ injury was bizarre. He sat for nearly a month before the organization finally decided to rule him out for the season. Not to mention, few injuries are more tedious than foot injuries. Until I see Williams on the floor for multiple games in a row, I’m going to feel uneasy about where he stands.
- I’ve already seen a handful of fans suggest that Chicago’s potential tank makes this Williams news rather meaningless. But I beg to differ. Williams was just handed a five-year, $90.0 million contract. The Bulls invested in him to be a crucial part of their future, and we’re already talking about someone who has played 43 games or less in two of his first four seasons. Even if his two long-term injuries were rather fluky, the last thing Chicago needs is for durability to become a concern immediately upon re-signing the former No. 4 overall pick.
- Likewise, this season is all about player development and figuring out who and what works. The longer we delay seeing a healthy Williams alongside players like Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Jalen Smith, the longer this front office can make excuses. Williams may be here for the long haul, but finally breaking out of his shell and figuring out his long-term role needs to be a priority in a season like this. I’ll be knocking on all nearby wood hoping this injury doesn’t linger into the season.
- Hey, at least Darnell Mayberry gave us some good news to balance out the bad news! Here is what he shared about Matas Buzelis (you can read his full comment here).
“Bulls rookie forward Matas Buzelis apparently can play,” Mayberry wrote. “It was one thing for the 11th pick to impress in summer league, but the word out of minicamp sessions is the 19-year-old is holding his own in team activities. Buzelis has impressed with his passing and ability to attack the rim.”
- Anyone who consistently stops by BN Bulls knows I’m pretty high on Matas Buzelis. The bulk of my optimism revolves around his combination of size and mobility. While the 3-point jumper will need to come around for him to reach his full potential, there is a lot to like about his downhill explosiveness and defensive versatility. There is also just as much to like about his mental makeup, and we talked about that this weekend. Matas Buzelis isn’t afraid of anything.
- I absolutely love hearing Mayberry mention that Buzelis’ passing has turned heads. All things considered, this felt like an underrated aspect of his game coming into the league. The 19-year-old has a pretty remarkable feel for the game and is far from a score-first wing. Buzelis may have chucked up his fair share of shots at Summer League, but that’s exactly what he’s supposed to do in that environment. The Bulls will now ask him to fit into a more structured offensive system, which many believe will be more uptempo and equal-opportunity. I think fans will be impressed with just how adaptable Buzelis is, as well as just how well he keeps the ball moving.
- The Chicago Sky opted to move on from Marina Mabrey during this season’s Olympic break. Fast forward to Sunday’s first day of WNBA playoff action, and Mabrey has set a new league record for most playoff points off the bench. The guard dropped 27 points in a +20 performance to help the Sun defeat the Fever 93-69 to take a 1-0 series lead. I questioned the move at the time, and this is precisely why. Mabrey offers a level of perimeter scoring that a team building around Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso will desperately need. I understand wanting to stockpile draft picks and offload long-term money, but Mabrey is only 28 years old. She could’ve helped fetch this young group some postseason experience over the next couple of years.
- For what it’s worth, I’m not shocked Zach LaVine didn’t seem to be in attendance for the Bulls’ trip to Six Flags. The man is a father of two. His nights are busy.
- I can’t wait for Josh Giddey to throw Matas Buzelis a nasty lob over Chet Holmgren during the home opener.
- Kendall Gill is probably just as useful as the real NBA refs …
- See Michael Jordan content, share Michael Jordan content …
- Remember when we were excited for the Bears season?
- BOOOOOO