Getty Head coach Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls.
A season defined by injuries took another downward turn for the Chicago Bulls.
“Chicago Bulls forward Julian Phillips has been diagnosed with a right foot sprain,” the team announced in a release on March 15. “Phillips will be in a walking boot and his status will be updated as appropriate.”
Phillips, 20, was the No. 35 overall pick of the 2023 draft. He has played a significant role recently amid myriad injuries to the players ahead of him.
The Bulls entered the season without Lonzo Ball and lost Zach LaVine at the trade deadline.
They also lost forward Patrick Williams for the season and have gone long stretches without his top backup, Torrey Craig. That allowed the energetic Phillips to carve out a role for a team still jostling for positioning in the Play-In Tournament.
Bulls got some really solid minutes from Julian Phillips
Crashing the glass hard every play. Couple of deflections. Nice steal here in transition. Went 1/2 on threes
Averaging 2.2 points and shooting 31.9% from deep on the season, Phillips is averaging 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from beyond the arc over his last 18 appearances.
Julian Phillips Following Patrick Williams in the Wrong Way
Perhaps the most ominous thing for Phillips, who missed the Bulls’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on March 14, is that Williams followed a similar pattern.
Williams had dealt with soreness in his foot for some time.
The Bulls’ medical team put him in a boot. They hoped that extended rest would allow him to heal and return to the court. Williams targeted the end of February. Further testing revealed a fractured bone in his foot, resulting in season-ending surgery to speed healing.
LaVine similarly underwent season-ending surgery to deal with soreness in his foot, albeit for a different injury and, perhaps, a different reason.
Craig has been healthy enough to appear in 11 of the Bulls’ 21 games since Williams’ injury.
He is averaging 5.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in that span, shooting 39% from beyond the arc. Craig is averaging 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 38.5% from deep on the season.
The Bulls will need more from the seventh-year veteran now without Williams and Phillips lost for the foreseeable future.
They were fortunate that Coby White’s hip injury was nothing too serious.
Coby White Diagnosed with ‘Mild Hip Strain’
“Chicago Bulls G Coby White’s MRI revealed a mild hip strain, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on March 14. “White – a Most Improved Player candidate — has averaged 19.7 points and 5.2 assists and could return to lineup as soon as Saturday vs. Wizards.”
White remains a legitimate contender for Most Improved Player this season. He had regained his form before missing his first contest of the season versus the Clippers.
The fifth-year guard averaged 21.4 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and shot 42.9% over his last seven appearances. He went down against the Indiana Pacers on March 13. And that efficiency includes him going 2-for-9 over the last two outings.
NO!! Siakam block on Coby White. Siakam comes down on top of Coby White. Didn’t look good at all. Coby left to the locker room
White was in good spirits in the Bulls’ locker room after the win over Indiana.
The Bulls have a 2.0-game lead over the Atlanta Hawks for ninth place in the East standings and the right to host their first matchup in the Play-In Tournament should they make it.
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Bulls Provide Potentially Ominous Update on Promising Rookie at Critical Juncture