The Chicago Bulls inconsistent season continues as the team fell in a 105-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Things were ugly on the court and got worse as injuries once again hit the roster. The Bulls cannot seem to escape the injury bug each season and this year has been no different as Joakim Noah becomes the latest victim with a shoulder injury.
According to Nick Friedell of ESPN.com, Noah suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to the Nets. He left in the third quarter after feeling his shoulder pop out of place. He did not return to the court and was seen exiting in a sling from the United Center. According to Noah, the injury was pretty painful as the training staff popped the shoulder back into place. The center will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue, but he is expected to miss some game time moving forward.
The injury to Noah is just another knock on what has been a disappointing year so far. The center is playing out the final year of his contract. He has been in and out as a starter while averaging a career-low 4.5 points with a field goal percentage of .404. The Bulls have been moving forward with Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic as the starting lineup with Noah and Taj Gibson leading the reserves. According to Gasol, regardless of the numbers, having Noah miss time hurts the team.
"He's an important player," Gasol said, via ESPN.com. "Brings a lot of energy to what we do, which is one of the things we lack of a lot times. So if he has to miss games obviously it will be harder without him."
An absence of Noah could mean that Bobby Portis keeps seeing time on the court. The rookie got his first but of real NBA action over the weekend and made the most of it. He put up 20 points and 11 rebounds against the New York Knicks. Head coach Fred Hoiberg noted that they have been wanting to get Portis more involved and the injury to Noah could mean that he gets to prove his worth sooner than expected. With Doug McDermott also dealing with an injury, Portis has a chance to make an impact on the court.
I feel like it's a talent," Portis said, via ESPN.com. "Hard work is a talent. That's as simple as it can get. I work hard and I feel like that's one of my talents. I'm not the most athletic guy, I'm not the most skilled guy ... but at the end of the day I work hard and I play as hard as I can. I feel like that's a talent too."
Injuries are not the only thing plaguing the Bulls right now. Jimmy Butler made comments regarding Hoiberg's coaching style that did not sit well with the media or his teammates. Butler stressed he did not regret saying Hoiberg needed to coach the team harder and he noted that it was simply frustration taking over. Butler has been trying to carry the offense this year and was very upset following the four-overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons. Gasol told Butler to keep things in-house from now on as the shooting guard hopes improvement comes.
