Shortly after returning from an MCL injury that kept him out of action for a month and a half, Bulls forward Bobby Portis will once again be sidelined for an extended period. The club announced today in a press release that Portis has been diagnosed with a right ankle sprain and will miss the next two to four weeks.
After Portis and Kris Dunn shared a virtually identical diagnosis and recovery timetable on their respective MCL sprains earlier this season, Portis will now find himself rehabbing an injury alongside Zach LaVine. LaVine, the team’s leading scorer, was ruled out on Wednesday for two to four weeks with an ankle sprain of his own.
Portis, 23, has appeared in just nine games so far this year, averaging 11.9 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 24.4 minutes per contest. After opting not to lock up Portis with an extension during the offseason, the Bulls are said to be evaluating whether the fourth-year power forward is a core piece as he nears restricted free agency. However, his latest setback will put that evaluation on hold, as Chicago will have to wait at least a few more weeks to assess how Portis fits into a frontcourt that also features long-term building blocks like Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter.
With Portis sidelined, it’s possible Jabari Parker will get a chance to return to the Bulls’ rotation. Head coach Jim Boylen said today that the club hasn’t set its rotation going forward yet, adding that the former No. 2 overall pick “needs to be ready to play.” Boylen also dismissed the idea that he has been told not to play Parker while the front office works on finding him a new home via trade (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune).
It is in the Bulls best interest to be as bad as possible.
At least it’s not an injury to his “Portis Head.”
Another “bad sprain” helps the tank