Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen will be out an estimated 6-to-8 weeks after suffering a high grade lateral elbow sprain, the team tweets.
Markkanen was injured during practice on Thursday and underwent an MRI on his right elbow on Friday.
The first major injury of the preseason could derail any hopes Chicago had of making the playoffs. Without their top player, the Bulls are dangerously thin at the forward spots.
Barring a trade, Chicago could thrust Bobby Portis into a starting role or move Jabari Parker from small forward to the four spot. Rookie training camp invitee Kaiser Gates is the team’s only other power forward, though it could try rookie Wendell Carter Jr. or Cristiano Felicio as a stopgap.
Markkanen had an outstanding rookie campaign, averaging 15.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 29.7 MPG while appearing in 68 contests. The 7-footer was the seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft.
Damn that’s tough
At least we’ll get to see Wendell get some minutes and definitely Portis.
I wouldnt say dangerously thin. And i wouldnt rule out playoffs in the east.
I wouldn’t think it would derail playoff hopes even. Because I don’t think even the optimistic Bulls fans had realistic hopes of the playoffs this year without the injury. They are and were still at least a year away and probably two.
Yeah, playoffs do seem a little far fetched, with or without a healthy Lauri. I see nine or ten teams ahead of them in the Eastern pecking order.
You have your top four of Toronto, Boston, Philly and Indy, and then Milwaukee, Miami, Washington, Detroit, Cleveland and possibly Charlotte. None of this is in particular order, but that’s nine to ten teams.
This is unfortunate but I’ll still roll with a lineup of Dunn, LaVine, Parker, Portis, and Lopez. Or they could shift Parker up to PF and insert Holiday. WCJ should never play the 4. He’s not mobile enough.