The All-Star break is days ahead for the Bulls, and it seems like they're waiting to be saved by the bell, limping and waiting on the standing eight-count.
Jimmy Butler went through practice, though his status is unknown for Tuesday's game against the Toronto Raptors — the cure-all to every Bulls ill, it seems — is still an unknown. Fred Hoiberg is more optimistic about his prospects than the rest of the injured brigade.
"He's sore, as I think everyone would expect," Hoiberg said following Monday's afternoon session at the Advocate Center. "But it was good to see him back out there with the guys. We'll see how he's doing tomorrow morning, put him through shootaround. I'm sure we'll put him through a workout before the game and then make a determination."
Nikola Mirotic's back spasms kept him out of practice, while Dwyane Wade (right wrist) and Paul Zipser (left ankle) went to get MRIs during practice. Wade's wrist looked swollen Saturday and Sunday from a hard fall he took Friday against the Phoenix Suns, and one wonders if taking these two games off and having an extended rest with the long time in between games will be the most prudent option, results pending.
When Butler, the Bulls' main piece, took an awkward step on a fast break in Oklahoma City while the Bulls were giving the Thunder a whipping, it looked as if the road trip would give them some much-needed straightening, and even playing well against the Houston Rockets made it look like it would be the start of a fruitful trip.
But unlike the Bulls' "Circus Trip" in November, the fruit turned sour shortly thereafter, and giving up 100 points in nine straight games (the first three in the streak came at home) shows a level of slippage and the attention to detail that has been sorely lacking. Getting trounced in resounding fashion by the woeful Suns and then allowing the never-ending Tom Thibodeau revenge tour to roll over the Bulls in Minneapolis makes Hoiberg look like he's one of the few with such positive thoughts.
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"You have to find a way to bounce back, get refocused these two important games before the break," Hoiberg said. "The big thing is getting off to good starts. When we didn't play well on the trip, that was the common theme. We had poor starts. We turned the ball over, it affected our transition defense and didn't close those games. It's about getting back to basics tomorrow, making the easy play, getting back in transition, rebounding."
Still, Hoiberg doesn't think his players have been worn down mentally by some of the drama, the dog days of the year or even the inevitable injuries.
"It seems like a long time ago that we have that game against Oklahoma City," Hoiberg said. "That's the message to the guys, we're fully capable of playing good basketball. You have to get off to good starts, take care of the basketball, rebound. It's basics, fundamentals we have to do better if you want a chance to win.
"It was less than a week ago, we were putting together good performances, so it's about getting back to what made that happen and again, we're capable."