The Chicago Bulls should regain some strength in their frontcourt on Friday night.
According to the latest official injury report, Jalen Smith has been upgraded to “probable” for this evening’s meeting with the Toronto Raptors. Smith was cleared from concussion protocol earlier this week and participated in on-court activities on Thursday. All seemingly went well, as he’s now on the verge of rejoining the rotation after a three-game absence.
The recently-acquired Zach Collins has played well in relief of the reserve big man. He has averaged 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over those three contests, shooting 58.1 percent from the field. As he looks increasingly comfortable running with the young Bulls, Billy Donovan will have to decide how to split up minutes between him and Smith moving forward.
© Reggie Hildred-Imagn ImagesFor what it’s worth, the head coach will at least have an easy decision tonight. Nikola Vucevic is listed as “doubtful” with calf soreness and is expected to miss his third straight game. We’ve received no indication that the injury is anything serious, and we certainly have reason to believe the Bulls are in no rush to play the veteran as they seemingly prioritize player development. However, with 20+ games left in the regular season, it would be surprising to see Vucevic shut down completely. It still feels like he’s bound to suit up again soon, which will be the rest test for Donovan and his big-man rotation.
As for Ayo Dosunmu, he remains questionable ahead of this evening’s tip-off. The guard hurt his shoulder in the team’s meeting with the New York Knicks. He’s another player whose return will make Donovan’s in-game decision-making that much harder. The Bulls are jammed with backcourt talent, but there is no question Dosunmu deserves near-starting-level minutes. He remains one of their best transition scorers and one of their more reliable perimeter defenders.
If Dosunmu is able to return to the rotation this evening, I’d keep an extra close eye on what it means for Josh Giddey. The guard has been dominant over the past three games, serving as the team’s primary ball-handler and controlling a lot of the transition offense. Might Dosunmu’s return throw off his rhythm?
Toronto’s injury report isn’t as busy, but they could face easily the biggest absence of the night. Scottie Barnes is listed as questionable with a hip injury. The absence of Toronto’s main offensive cog would only make life that much easier for Chicago. Barnes provides the kind of playmaking and interior strength that could be a tough matchup for Matas Buzelis and the rest of the Bulls’ wings.
The Chicago Bulls Could Have a Big Problem on Their Hands (Literally)Bulls-Raptors Injury Report
Bulls
Patrick Williams – OUT (quad)Nikola Vucevic – DOUBT (calf)Ayo Dosunmu – QUESTIONABLE (shoulder)Jalen Smith – PROBABLE (concussion)
Raptors
Scottie Barnes – QUESTIONABLE (ankle)Brandon Ingram – OUT (knee)Jamison Battle – OUT (nose)Chomche Ulrich – OUT (knee)Garrett Temple – OUT (personal)
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