Chicago Bulls: 3 early season takeaways from the first week
3. The injury bug is the Chicago Bulls’ big story early on
The Bulls opened training camp hoping to make a run at a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Within the first week, they lost second-year forward Lauri Markkanen to a severe elbow sprain, sidelining the Finnish big man for the first 6-8 weeks of the season. After averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a rookie, Markkanen won’t make his sophomore season debut until late November or early December.
Forward Denzel Valentine is suffering from a deep bone bruise in his left ankle and has yet to see any action in preseason or the regular season. This is the same ankle that Valentine has had surgically prepared and the Bulls are exhibiting caution in rehabbing the former Michigan State star.
Kris Dunn went down on Oct. 22 with an MCL sprain, adding to the list of Bulls rotational players on the shelf. As the best defensive player on the team, this is a huge loss for Chicago. The point guard, tasked with directing the offense and setting the tone defensively, will be out 4-6 weeks.
Bobby Portis left Thursday’s win against the Hornets with a knee injury and did not return. He will undergo additional testing to see if there is any damage and whether or not he will miss extended time.
Bobby Portis is walking on own but limping. Declined comment. Scan in AM will tell more but there’s internal concern he’ll miss extended time.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 25, 2018
These injuries are less than an ideal for a club hoping to improve upon last season’s 27-55 record. Starting 1-3 is not the blueprint for a playoff run, but with the team shorthanded, expectations will be muted.