Bulls have towait for Carter- Williams
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.— Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was still searching Tuesday for some kind of pick- me- up from the bench, some sort of help. But it’s not coming yet.
Before his reserves allowed a three- point game late in the first quarter Tuesday night to turn into a 15- point Detroit Pistons lead by the early second, Hoiberg revealed he hadn’t gotten the news he was hoping for on the injury front. While Doug McDermott ( concussion) could be back as early as Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs after missing 10 straight games, plans to get Michael Carter- Williams ( bone chip, left wrist) back in the rotation are on hold.
According to Hoiberg, CarterWilliams met with doctors and had the cast removed from his wrist, but they gave him a flexible cast that he’ll have to wear for the next 10 days. He’ll then be re- evaluated.
As for McDermott, he practiced with the D- League Windy City Bulls for a second straight day and again came out with no lingering symptoms. He has suffered two concussions already this season.
“I think [ Wednesday] is an important day for [ McDermott] to meet with our team doctor,” Hoiberg said. “We’ll get him another workout and see how he’s doing after that.”
Even if McDermott can go Thursday, he’s still weeks behind on his conditioning, so his minutes would be limited for the time being.
“Again, he’s had several weeks now without any type of five- on- five, or any type of basketball condition, besides going one- on- oh,” Hoiberg said. “It was an important couple of days for Doug, from the mental standpoint, to go out there and play, get hit, and know that he’s going to be OK.”
Begging to differ
Assistant coach Jim Boylen has been given a lot of responsibility in terms of the Bulls’ defensive philosophy. While several scouts have indicated the Bulls lack an identity on defense and seem to drastically change what they’re doing from game to game, Hoiberg feels his players have bought in.
“Defensively, you look at our numbers, and they’re pretty good this year,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve slipped the last few games. We have to find a way to get our defensive edge back. But I think everybody’s on board with what we’re preaching. We just have to make sure we’re following the game plans and the little things you have to do to be a successful team are understood. But we’ve been pretty solid, especially with all the new faces we have.”
The Bulls entered the game with the Pistons ranked ninth in the NBA in points allowed ( 100.2 per game) and 13th in opponent shooting percentage (. 446).
Hoiberg’s concern at the start of the season was getting the opposition to turn the ball over. The Bulls were tied for 18th in that category, forcing 13.2 turnovers per game.