Jimmy Butler missed a month with a strained knee, returned to play 34 minutes and then missed the Bulls’ next game due to knee swelling.
Now, Butler faces an even more uncertain future.
Nick Friedell of ESPN:Jimmy Butler will travel to Alabama to meet with Dr. James Andrews on Thursday morning to get a second opinion on his injured left knee. Butler has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
“Jimmy, he felt pretty good this morning,” coach Fred Hoiberg said after practice on Wednesday. “Came in [Tuesday] night, got a workout, participated this morning. He’s going to go down and see Dr. Andrews down in Alabama today just to get a second opinion on the knee. [Thursday] he won’t play, but we’ll hopefully get some news tomorrow and then confer with everybody and put a plan together. ... I think everybody agrees that it’s a good idea to go down there and get an opinion from one of the top doctors in the world.”
It might be a good idea for Butler to consult Andrews, but it’s troubling that it’s a good idea. Butler just can’t seem to shake this injury.
That’s been disastrous for the Bulls, who’ve tumbled down the standings without him. They went 3-9 immediately after he got hurt then beat the Rockets upon his return. Chicago also beat the Bucks on Monday without him.
But Butler, one of the NBA’s best two-way wings, will play a huge role in whether the Bulls make the playoffs.
They really need some good news tomorrow.