A season marked by injuries took another negative turn for the Chicago Bulls.
“Chicago Bulls forward Julian Phillips has been diagnosed with a sprain in his right foot,” the team stated in a release on March 15. “Phillips will wear a walking boot and his condition will be updated as necessary.”
Phillips, 20, was the 35th overall pick in the 2023 draft. He has recently played an important role due to several injuries to the players ahead of him.
The Bulls didn't make any moves at the trade deadline. Lonzo Ball and lost Zach LaVine They also lost forward
Patrick Williams for the season and have gone long stretches without his top backup, Torrey Craig . This allowed Phillips to establish a role for a team still battling for position in the Play-In Tournament.Averaging 2.2 points and shooting 31.9% from long range 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 concerning 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 been dealing with foot soreness 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 aimed to be back by the end of February. Further testing revealed a fractured bone in his foot, leading to season-ending surgery to expedite recovery.LaVine also underwent
season-ending surgery to address foot soreness, albeit for a different injury and, possibly, a different reason Craig has been healthy enough to play 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 period, shooting 39% from beyond the arc. Craig is averaging 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 38.5% from long range on the season.
The Bulls will depend more on the veteran player now that Williams and Phillips are out for the foreseeable future.
They were lucky that
’s hip injury was not too serious. Coby WhiteCoby White Diagnosed with ‘Mild Hip Strain’
“Chicago Bulls G Coby White’s MRI showed a mild hip strain, sources informed 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. 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 ninth place in the East standings for and the opportunity to host their initial game in the Play-In Tournament if they qualify. The Chicago Bulls gave a possibly concerning report on the status of injured rookie forward Julian Phillips, continuing a pattern.
