The Chicago Bulls are still struggling with injuries; Patrick Williams is still dealing with a foot injury, and Torrey Craig has a sprained knee.

 

The Chicago Bulls will enter the final stretch of the regular season devoid of many forwards because Torrey Craig hurt his knee at the All-Star break and Patrick Williams’ ramp-up towards a comeback hasn’t gone as planned. The Bulls’ frontcourt rotation is now extremely weak, with many players expected to play out of position and assume more significant roles.

Williams was expected to start cutting and running after the All-Star break. He had been sidelined since January 25 due to severe bone edema in his left foot. Williams’ foot problem persists, so the team’s medical staff decided it would be better to gradually increase his workload.

“Patrick is ramping up gradually and gently. His pain threshold and how much more he can take will dictate everything they do. To be honest, he has experienced it in some situations. He’s come a long way since then. I believe that he was walking when this first happened. He’s currently above that. However, Bulls coach Billy Donovan stated, “They’re going to be extremely, extremely cautious about how much they continue to push through and how much they pull back on him.”

Donovan continued, saying that Williams’ on-court activities will be observed by the Bulls’ trainers to make sure he doesn’t experience any setbacks going forward.

“They just want to make sure that they have to back off on the ramp-up if he keeps experiencing pain. And that’s their current situation. He has accomplished things. He spent some time doing nothing but lifting weights in the boot. He has engaged in some low-level basketball activity. Compared to before, he feels a lot better. However, they won’t press him until those symptoms totally disappear.

Craig, who damaged his knee and will seek a second opinion in two to four weeks, has had a season to forget. This season, Craig has only participated in 33 games and has missed 22 because of a plantar fascia ailment.

Although he averages 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, he makes an impact that goes beyond numbers. Craig is renowned for his hustle plays and tough defense; he frequently dives for dropped balls and takes the lead.