Chicago Bulls: Nikola Vucevic enters health and safety protocols

The Chicago Bulls are 8-3 and sit in second place in the Eastern Conference. Their 117-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday was just another step in proving their legitimacy after they entered the seasons being doubted from all corners over myriad reasons ranging from fit to depth.

They have soundly dispelled the former. Chicago is 13th offensively but has two top-10 scorers in DeMar DeRozan (sixth) and Zach LaVine (seventh).

The latter has been answered as well, only with a caveat.

While the Bulls have stayed healthy, questions over the bench depth came into question once forward Patrick Williams went out with his wrist injury. Now, it is going to be tested even further following word that center Nikola Vucevic in entering health and safety protocols.

Losing Nikola Vucevic for any stretch is a major blow for the Chicago Bulls

Per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Vucevic will be forced to be out for the next 10 days. Assuming this is retroactive to Nov 10, that would mean Vucevic, who is vaccinated, would be slated to return ahead of the Bulls rematch with the New York Knicks at the United Center. Their next game after that is against the Indiana Pacers.

Vucevic had been struggling this season though he is still averaging a 13-point, 10-board double-double.

He is averaging 13.6 points per game, the fewest he’s had since his second year in the league, while also shooting a career-low 39.5 percent from the floor. His 26.7 percent from beyond the arc is his worst since he began shooting them with regularity.

The 6-foot-11 big man has scored 25 points on 64.7 percent shooting while going 2-of-4 from downtown over his last six quarters of play; including 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists against Dallas.

Interestingly enough, the Bulls sport an offensive rating about 10 points better with Vooch off of the floor this season.

But they also have a defensive rating that is about three points worse when he sits.

With him out, the Bulls will likely turn to Tony Bradley. The 6-foot-10 Bradley started the season slowly as he worked his way back from an injury sustained during the preseason. But he saw over 11 minutes in five straight games and had posted a positive plus-minus in six straight games before the win over the Mavs.

Who backs him up is less clear. Alize Johnson is the biggest on the active roster at 6-foot-8. But we could see a hodgepodge of Johnson, Derrick Jones Jr., and possibly even some Javonte Green at the five.

One other option is rookie big man Marko Simonovic who they recalled from the Windy City Bulls in the wake of the news.

The Bulls dealt with Zach LaVine entering protocols last season, at which time he had to miss 14 days. They went 4-7 over that time.