After getting out to a surprisingly strong start, the Chicago Bulls have been inconsistent. But the Bulls received good news on the injury front recently as Zach Collins could make his debut next week.
Collins has been sidelined since undergoing surgery to repair a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist on October 17. However, Collins could finally get into contact practices this week, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.
“Billy Donovan says Zach Collins will try to get in contact practices this week, and that his target range to return to play is that home stretch after this post-Thanksgiving road trip,” Lorenzi tweeted yesterday.
Chicago began a four-game road trip last night in New Orleans, having won three of four games. But the Bulls were awful defensively in their 143-130 loss to the Pelicans. It was the third time in the last six games that the Bulls have allowed at least 143 points.
When Will Bulls Veteran Make His Debut, And How Does His Return Affect Billy Donovan’s Rotation?
Chicago permitted New Orleans to shoot 51% from the field and 37% from the 3-point line for the game. While the Bulls were good offensively themselves, they turned the ball over 17 times and dominated on the glass, 55-33, including 19-4 on the offensive end.
The Bulls had several players dealing with injuries against the Pelicans. Nikola Vucevic was a late scratch with a knee injury. Kevin Huerter (pelvis), Dalen Terry (calf), and Isaac Okoro (back) were also sidelined. All four players are expected to return to the court when the Bulls hit the court again in Charlotte on Friday.
Chicago has allowed fewer than 120 points just once this month. Since the beginning of the month, the Bulls have allowed the second-most points in the league at 128.2 per game. While the Bulls are slightly below average in opponents’ field goal percentage, they struggle defending the 3-point line, allowing 14.5 threes a contest at 38.3%. They have also struggled on the defensive glass, allowing 14.2 offensive rebounds and nearly 20 second-chance points.
“Our team, outside of maybe Isaac Okoro, we don’t have one guy on the team right now that you would sit there and say, ‘This guy’s a defensive stopper. This is what this guy hangs his hat on,’” said coach Billy Donovan talking about the Bulls defense after the Pelicans game. “We don’t have that. So we have to do it collectively. It’s not one guy’s fault; it’s all of us. It’s a team issue, it’s not an individual issue.”
What Will Zach Collins Return And What Will His Role Be
The Bulls likely practiced yesterday, but there was no word if Collins did indeed participate fully. The good news is that Collins has kept in game shape during the injury. He has been passing and shooting with his hand for a while.
Even if he didn’t practice yesterday, Collins still has plenty of other chances as the Bulls don’t play again until Friday. Plus, by Donovan’s timeline, he won’t be in uniform until the Bulls begin a four-game home stretch next Wednesday against the Nets. They also host the Pacers (December 5), the Warriors (December 7), and the Cavaliers (December 17).
But Collins’ return can’t come too soon. Chicago sits eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 9-8 record, having lost seven of its last 10. The Bulls have been outscored by nearly 3 points per game and rank in the bottom half of the league in offensive rating (114.4) and defensive rating (117.5).
The Bulls are a top-10 shooting team, but they make only 59% of their shots around the rim — third-worst in the NBA. Granted, Collins is not an offensive savant, but he has strong post skills and has a soft shooting hoop around the rim.
Collins Role
Collins is a good screener and connector while also being able to stretch the floor on occasion. The 28-year-old is also an outstanding rebounder with the ability to protect the rim. The Bulls rank in the bottom third of the league in offensive rebounding and are getting outrebounded by a rebound per game overall.
“Coach is telling us a thousand times to box out, and on film, we’re going to the glass, not boxing out, standing around.” Ayo Dosunmu told Lorenzi after Monday’s game. He’s been completely honest with us. He’s telling us, ‘If we don’t do this, we’re going to get these results.’ … We keep saying the stove is hot, and we keep touching the stove.”
Collins will likely see between 15 and 20 minutes off the bench when he returns. He will see most of the minutes at the five, though he and Vucevic will likely spend some time on the court together.
Donovan has typically used a 10-man rotation this year. That means that Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith will likely see a drop in court time. Williams, who is averaging over 21 minutes, appears to be the biggest loser, as Donovan previously hinted that Smith will likely remain in the lineup when Collins returns.
“We may have to look at two bigs together some, or playing three bigs rotationally,” Donovan told Lorenzi last week. “I think we gotta find what’s best to play all three.”
Smith has played well behind Vucevic this year, averaging 10.2 points and 5.9 rebounds with shooting splits of 48.1/38.7/73.9. He has produced two double-doubles and reached double-figures in 10 of his 17 appearances.
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