It seems any time somebody mentions the Chicago Bulls, the topic of conversation seems to be injuries and how it’s affecting the team. Well don’t expect that to stop anytime soon, as last night yet another Bulls player fell to the ever present injury bug. This time it was sixth man Taj Gibson, who sustained a left ankle sprain in the third quarter of last night’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Chicago Bulls Injuries are Starting to Take a Toll
Gibson joins a long list of players who are unavailable to the Bulls through injury. Derrick Rose (Hamstring), Pau Gasol (strained left calf) and Kirk Hinrich (ribs) are all out with injuries. These four players are all important to the Bulls, giving the team productive minutes whilst healthy.
Who are the Bulls going to miss the most?
This is a tricky one because the obvious answer is Derrick Rose, but I’m not so sure. The losses of Pau Gasol and Kirk Hinrich are big as they carry huge influence on the offensive side of the ball. However, I believe the Bulls biggest loss is power forward Taj Gibson. His influence on this Bulls team, off the bench, is huge. Gibson rebounds, he can dunk over players, and also possess great shooting ability. Gibson could probably start for 25 other teams in the NBA that shows how lucky Chicago really is to have him coming off the bench.
This of course isn’t to say that the Bulls won’t miss the others, as they are all good players. I see Derrick Rose as the heartbeat of this Bulls side, as he keep things ticking on offense when he’s healthy. Pau Gasol is missed a lot; and Lakers fans know just how much a team can miss Gasol when he’s hurt or not around. Kirk Hinrich is an under the radar player in the Bulls team, but an affective one. Hinrich is very good at helping to run an offense and players like Jimmy Butler and Aaron Brooks only benefit when he is on the court.
Can Chicago keep winning?
Yes, is the quick answer as this team still has one of the best coaches in the NBA. The Bulls always find a way to win a majority of their games and make the playoffs under coach Tom Thibodeau. They have shown this in recent years, as they have dealt with Derrick Rose’s injury issues extremely well. Not to mention the quality of the players on the Bulls roster is top notch. Joakim Noah is one of the best centers in the NBA, especially on the defensive end of the court. Jimmy Butler also deserves a mention as so far this year he is an early contender for most improved player. He has not only shown improvements in his overall game, but he has also shown great clutch ability so far this season.
Chicago has a great roster that will be affected by injuries, but like most great team’s they will fight their way through to the playoffs, and I still believe they are the best team in the Eastern Conference. If the Bulls can weather the early season injury storm, they could find themselves contending for the Bill O’Brien Trophy.
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