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Report: Jimmy Butler could miss three to four weeks with elbow injury

Jimmy Butler, Jamal Crawford

Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) has his shot blocked by Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, on Sunday, March 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)

AP

Derrick Rose is out for about a month or more. Taj Gibson has been playing through injury, and it seems Joakim Noah has, too.

As if the Bulls didn’t already have enough problems, Jimmy Butler’s shoulder injury is serious.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

There are a couple positives

1. Butler won’t need surgery.

2. He, like Rose, should return before the playoffs for some tune-up games.

But, on the whole, this is awful news for the Bulls.

Butler has been Chicago’s best player this season, a front-runner for Most Improved Player. This likely means more minutes for Kirk Hinrich and maybe Tony Snell and E’Twaun Moore. Snell has been playing well, but Butler is certainly not easily replaceable. Plus, there’s a good chance Tom Thibodeau (further) over-relies on Hinrich.

The Bulls are still third in the Eastern Conference, three games up for homecourt advantage in the first round. They have a little margin for error, and the most important thing is getting healthy in time for the postseason. But this obviously not the ideal path for getting there.