An interesting saga with injuries continues for the Chicago Bulls with the former first round pick and small forward Chandler Hutchison.
Bigger news broke on Oct. 28 with the Chicago Bulls and second-year small forward Chandler Hutchison. The Bulls were waiting for Hutchison to recover from a lingering hamstring injury he suffered back before Training Camp and the preseason started. The last time that Hutchison was consistently playing in a Bulls uniform was in the Las Vegas Summer League. His play in the Vegas Summer League didn’t inspire much confidence that he’ll thrive after coming back from a season-ending injury during his rookie campaign.
Considering the biggest positional need for the Bulls three games into the regular season it seems is wing depth. Behind the former Washington Wizards small forward Otto Porter Jr., there isn’t much to boast about for head coach Jim Boylen and the Bulls. Porter Jr. can’t do everything for the Bulls on the wing this season.
Moreover, Hutchison was one of the more notable players dealing with injuries through Training Camp and the preseason for this team. Another one that was still out with injury at the outset of the regular season was 6-foot-4 defensive standout guard Shaquille Harrison. He was also dealing with a hamstring injury ahead of the tip off of the regular season, which came back on Oct. 23 on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.
Bulls assigned Chandler Hutchison to Windy City Bulls for practice reps.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 28, 2019
What does all this mean for Hutchison as he attempts to make his way back from this lingering hamstring injury a handful of games into the 2019-20 regular season?
Per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Hutchison was assigned to the G-League affiliate Windy City Bulls on Monday morning (Oct. 28) to get more practice reps. This could be a sign that he is closer to making his way back into the Bulls rotation under Boylen.
We have yet to see Hutchison in meaningful game action in a good while. He does need to shake off the rust after missing so much time since his rookie season. This could be a good stint for him down with Chicago’s G-League affiliate to get back into a comfortable groove.
In the meantime, the Bulls need to make sure that Porter Jr. is healthy and ready to go. The aforementioned lack of depth behind him on the wing in the rotation is a concern since he reportedly suffered a blow to his face in the Bulls convincing loss to the Toronto Raptors over the weekend.
Otto Porter Jr. said he feels fine after taking that blow to his mouth in Raptors game that needed 6 stitches to close damage. “As long as I can eat, I’m good,” Porter said.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 28, 2019
Not only does Hutchison need to come back healthy and more effective than he was last season for the Bulls, he has to be over this hamstring issue. For a wing that will have to be as active on both ends of the floor as Hutchison, a hamstring injury that lasted this long usually isn’t an encouraging sign.
A wing rotation that features a bunch of two guards and power forwards might not be the best long-term solution for the Bulls. Granted Hutchison might not be the answer this team is looking for either. But this is an important situation to monitor as far as wing depth goes this season.