Player rotation haunts the Chicago Bulls

With all the injuries to the Chicago Bulls recently, the bench will be trusted to finish off the season.

At the beginning of the 2014-2015 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls were predicted as the early favorites to win the Eastern conference, but in the past week, that bright future has looked very slim. With the Bulls recent injuries to their core players of Derrick Rose (Meniscus), Jimmy Butler (Elbow), and Taj Gibson (ankle), the Bulls that were once deemed the favorites of the Eastern Conference, are suddenly fighting to stay afloat of the eastern conference.

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These recent events that could apparently stunt the Chicago Bulls chances for a deep playoff run in May or June, suddenly has them fighting just to make it to April, which is the timetable for return of their two All-Stars, in Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. After Derrick Rose’s surgery this past Friday, Rose has been ruled to return within 4-6 weeks. If Rose returns in 4 weeks, then that would likely be April 1st, with 9 games on the NBA schedule for the star point guard to gain some momentum as the Playoffs approaches, if he returns in 6 weeks, there would be 3 games remaining in the NBA season.

After Sunday’s game against the L.A Clippers, Jimmy Butler’s MRI took place on Monday, and he has been ruled out for 3-4 weeks, with a sprained left elbow. 6 weeks from now would be the second week of April, which would get Jimmy back into the Bulls lineup by the start of the post season. The Bulls are also without Forward Taj Gibson, after Taj sprained his left ankle in Friday night’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Year after year the injuries accumulate, and it has Chicagoans, sports fans, and analyst all asking the same question, and that’s why are the Bulls suffering from injuries year after year.

One of the reasons could be the fact that Coach Tom Thibodeau places a huge amount of minutes on his starters, and schedules practices on game-days, while opposing teams are resting their players. The Bulls 94-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, was the game that many defining events of the Bulls problems, took place. After the loss, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau cancelled team practice, and held a team meeting, a meeting that consisted of the Bulls players all voicing their frustrations, and what was bothering them, after the team meeting, the Chicago Bulls went on to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 104-81 on January 22nd, in that game the Bulls bench scored 26 points. On February 12, 2015, the Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98, and the Chicago Bulls bench scored 28 points against vs the Cavaliers. In a few of the teams key victories this season, the Chicago Bulls have received huge production, offensively from their bench.

It is obvious that the Chicago Bulls are a better team offensively when their bench receives reasonable minutes, and if the Bulls are going to be successful without three of their main core pieces, then Thibs will more than likely have to develop, and trust his bench players with more time on the floor. Nikola Mirotic & Tony Snell are two young players that could help this Bulls team, in these ailing times. In Nikola Mirotic’s last ten games he is averaging 10.8 ppg, and 4.8 rpg, with just 18.2 mpg. Tony Snell has averaged 12.7 ppg, and 3.8 rpg, at 31.2 mpg.

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