Bulls Hope to Have Injured Forward Patrick Williams Back by Next Week

Timetable for Return

According to Bulls coach Billy Donovan, Patrick Williams (left foot) will likely miss the Sunday game with the 76ers, but the team then has four days before Charlotte comes to town on Friday, and that will tell them a lot about where the forward is in his rehab with all the scheduled practice days.

Progressing, but Caution Needed

“The hope is he’d be out there for all that and really start to ramp him up in the competitive stuff because we’ll have time to do more five-on-five and that stuff,” Donovan said. “He hasn’t had any setbacks or anything else. He’s still progressing. It’s just the ramp up. Certainly, coming out of that four-day stretch, the Charlotte game would be the game they would look to target.”

Williams’ Injury History

Williams hasn’t played since Nov. 18, missing the last nine games. The concern with the injury was it was the same foot that he had season-ending surgery on last year. He has met with specialists, however, and it was determined that he just needed to rest and get the inflammation under control.

Timing of the Injury

The unfortunate part of this latest setback for Williams was the timing, because the former No. 4 overall pick was actually starting to play his best basketball as a Bull, seemingly carving out his own role.

Donovan’s Concerns

“That’s why Donovan was asked if he felt like Williams could pick up where he left off before the foot started to act up again,” the article states. “My biggest concern with him, and it’s not just him, I think it’s any player dealing with a lower extremity injury – the fatigue, the conditioning and where he’s at in that,” Donovan said. “Now he’s done everything you could imagine to try and keep his condition up. When we were trying to get everything quieted down with Patrick and his foot, that’s what I get concerned with.”

Last Man Standing

With the Blackhawks firing Luke Richardson on Thursday, Billy Donovan is still the longest-tenured coach in the city and it’s not really close. Richardson’s dismissal marked the eighth time in just over a year that a Chicago professional sports team has shown a head coach/manager the door.

Masked Matas

Rookie Matas Buzelis caught a friendly fire elbow from teammate Zach LaVine in the win over the Spurs on Thursday, and while tests showed the nose wasn’t broken, there was a lot of discomfort. Matas opted to play in the back-to-back against Indiana but wore a protective black mask.

Conclusion

The Bulls are hoping to have Patrick Williams back on the court soon, but they will need to monitor his progress carefully to ensure he is fully recovered from his injury. In the meantime, the team will continue to rely on their other players to step up and fill the void left by Williams’ absence.

FAQs

* When is Patrick Williams expected to return to the court?
+ The Bulls are hoping to have Williams back by the Charlotte game on Friday, but this is dependent on his progress in rehab.
* What is the nature of Williams’ injury?
+ Williams has a left foot injury, which is the same foot that he had season-ending surgery on last year.
* How has Williams been progressing in his rehab?
+ According to Coach Donovan, Williams has been progressing well, but they need to monitor his fatigue and conditioning levels to ensure he is fully recovered.
* What is the biggest concern for Coach Donovan regarding Williams’ return?
+ Donovan is concerned about Williams’ fatigue and conditioning levels, as well as his ability to pick up where he left off before the injury.