If there was an award for the most unlucky team, I don’t think there would be a better candidate for it than the Chicago Bulls. After the injury of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler will be out for three to six weeks due to a grade 2/3 ulnar ligament sprain and small bone impaction injury to the left elbow. Even though the injuries for the Bulls are piling up, things could have been even worse, due to the fact that the All-Star could have needed surgery for his condition.
Butler is averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this year and his absence would be critically felt as the playoff race continues to heat up. The Bulls would definitely miss him, as Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson are both going to be out at least until the end of March and that could mean no-home court advantage for Chicago. The team led by Tom Thibodeau is currently sitting at the third spot in the Eastern Conference (38-23), but the Cleveland Cavaliers (37-24) are just around the corner and could soon overtake them. Thibodeau is known for a coach that knows how to deal with injuries and the Bulls have always found ways to continue playing at a high level. The quality of play from Chicago would surely drop and home-court advantage could be lost for the playoffs but it’s very doubtful that the team would fall lower than 5th place, which would most likely mean a postseason series against the Wizards. If this actually happens, it’s not like the situation for the Bulls will be bad – the Wizards are a bit unexperienced team and Chicago could take advantage of that.
As a conclusion, it’s safe to say that Jimmy Butler would definitely be missed by the Bulls, but the history and experience of Thibodeau tells us that the team would find a way to play quality basketball even without him. The best possible scenario for the Bulls will be that Butler can return after three weeks, but their main goal is to get him back on the court before the start of the playoffs.
NBA News: Jimmy Butler out for 3-6 weeks, are the Bulls in trouble?
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