The Chicago Bulls are kicking off the second half with their roster as close to full strength as it has been all season. Forwards Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr. are ready to return from injury and will be available for Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Markkanen (shoulder) and Porter (back) stayed in Chicago during All-Star break to recover and were full participants in practice on Wednesday. But considering neitherhas played in more than a month, coach Billy Donovan said he would keep both players on some sort of minutes restriction as they ease their way back.
“The physical contact for both of those guys has not been really high considering we’re coming out of the All-Star break and then obviously the amount of time they were out,” Donovan said. “So a lot of it’s going to be to see how they’re doing…. I think playing either one of those guys into the mid-to-high 30s (minutes) wouldn’t be the best thing. But we’ll see how they’re doing and see what their stints look like and see how they’re feeling physically.”
The Bulls could certainly benefit from having both players back in the lineup, even though they have spent plenty time adjusting without them over the past few seasons. Despite Markkanen and Porter missing nearly the entire month of February, the Bulls pulled off their first winning month in four years.
The schedule in the second half, however, will be unrelenting as the league tries to finish a 72-game season. Right out of the break, the Bulls begin a stretch of five games in seven nights, beginning with a back-to-back against the 76ers and Miami Heat at the United Center.
The only Bulls player currently unavailable is forward Chandler Hutchison, who has been out since the beginning of February for personal reasons. There’s still no timetable for his return.
While the Bulls will start the second half with their rotation intact, Philadelphia is expected to be shorthanded without center Joel Embiid and guard Ben Simmons, who will miss the game because of the NBA’s contract tracing efforts for COVID-19.
“I don’t know if everybody the whole year can honestly say that their team has been completely whole,” Donovan said. “With the number of games, rest, injuries, COVID, contact tracing, guys having to sit because somebody got COVID and they were around each other… your team could look a lot different each night.”
Markkanen, who has not played since Feb. 5 with a sprained AC joint, said he plans on playing Thursday, although he acknowledged it would ultimately be Donovan’s decision.
“I feel like I’m good to go,” Markkanen said. “Whatever is going to be ahead of us, I know it’s a tough schedule coming. But I’m good to go. It’s not up to me if I’m on a minutes restriction of anything like that.”
Markkanen has been productive when he plays — 19.1 points and a career-high shooting percentages from the field and 3-point line — but his availability has once again been an issue. He missed the past 13 games with an injury, which has combined with an absence for COVID-19 related contract tracing to limitMarkkanen to just 14 games so far in this final year of his contract.
“The team is playing well, I’m excited to get back,” he said. “I’m just trying to bring my effort and energy and be aggressive and help the team whatever way I can.”
Porter has been out of action since Feb. 1, when he looked visibly hobbled during a game against the New York Knicks. He was less committal about his status for Thursday — only responding, “we’ll see,” when asked whether he would play — but he and Donovan sounded optimistic about his health.
When he’s on the court, he has also been a productive player. Bouncing between the starting lineup and bench, Porter had accepted his role well and is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 40% from three in 16 games.The problem is that Porter’s appearances for the Bulls have become a rarity these days.
He’s appeared in only 45 games for the Bulls since being acquired at the trade deadline in Feb. 2019. The Bulls have played so long without him that with the trade deadline approaching and Porter on an expensive, expiring contract, it makes sense for the team to find a way to move on from him if they can get something in return.
A report from The Ringer recently named Porter as a player who could potentially seek a buyout with an eye toward joining a contender, but he said he was “absolutely” focused on the Bulls.
“I have no idea, to be honest with you,(where the report came from),” Porter said. “I’ve just been in the gym every day, trying to get my body back, and whatever is going on out there, I have no idea about. My agent would probably tell me if something was going on, but he hasn’t said anything.”