Jimmy Butler did not travel with the Bulls because of his toe injury. He is listed as 'week to week' according to Bulls PR. https://twitter.com/NickFriedell/status/403233140581203968 Bulls just announced that Jimmy Butler will be listed as week-to-week after suffering sprained right big toe Monday against Charlotte https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/403233363093250048 Butler's MRI showed he had a sprain. Turf toe. Expect a lot more of Kirk Hinrich and Mile Dunleavy in the 2 spot now. https://twitter.com/NickFriedell/status/403233563291553792
Well, presumably one of Snell or Teague will get their extended tryout for rotation minutes. Which one do you think? I'm guessing Snell. For a lot of matchups, he's probably the best defensive option between he, Kirk, and Dunleavy.
I think Dunleavy and Kirk get all the minutes at SG and backup SF. Kirk 30, Dunleavy 30 probably fills all the SG/SF minutes.
I remember from way back in the day the poster Shaq's Big Toe. Maybe I should change my screen persona to Butler's Big Toe? Naaaaaaaaaaaaah.
Butler will be missed, but when I heard it was a sprained ("Turf") toe, I was glad they were playing it conservatively. That's an injury that some are tempted to try to play through, but it changes your gait and can definitely cause other (e.g., lower back) problems.
Unfortunate time for the injury. JB looked like he was just finding his range again. And I think turf toe is one of those injuries that can linger.
That's ultimately what worries me. My understanding of the injury is there's no cure for it besides time, and if you try and play through it a player can alter his "kinetic chain" and compensate with other injuries. Derrick had turf toe the year he tore his ACL. I hope this doesn't turn into a season-long distraction. For the time being I'd be fine with shutting Jimmy down until it gets right. Now's as good a time as any to get Snell some quality burn for 5-10 minutes a game.
I feel the same. Thibs wont play Snell much unless another injury occurs to Deng or Dunleavy. Expect Hinrich and Dunleavy to play exteneded minutes.
Alas, Thibodeau seems to see it differently. Appears that Teague will get some extra PT in Butler's absence, but Snell remains Garbage Time Only. I suspect that there's a story there if one of our local scribes would care to dig it out.
Kirk and Dunleavy did get 30+. The game was garbage time for much of the 2nd half. Even Snell got in the game. And scored!
That was my first thought. I'm not sure what that Mike James article was about unless Forman is now dictating lineups.
