The Chicago Bull has been one of the NBA’s hottest teams so far in the 2021-22 season but it seems the windy city has hit a speedbump as Derrick Jones Jr. has been placed on the NBA’s Health and Saftey Protocol. Jones is now the fifth Bulls player to be placed on this list including DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, Matt Thomas, and Javonte Green.
The Bulls were already shorthanded with two of their core players out (DeMar DeRozan and Alex Cruso) against the Cleveland Cavaliers as they lost that contest last night with a final score of 92-115.
According to this tweet by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski The Bulls are on the verge of facing an outbreak of Covid-19 that could be the downfall of their hot start to the 2021-22 season. The Chicago Bulls are currently 17-9 and are second in the NBA’s Eastern Conference right behind the Brooklyn Nets, But how much longer can they hold that spot with most of their key players out? With the reigning champs Milwaukee Bucks, only a game and a half behind the Bulls, and Alex Cruso being out at least a week with a right hamstring strain and no clear timetable for DeRozan and Jones Jr. the Bulls could be in some trouble.
Chicago Bulls facing health issues
The Chicago Bulls are going to have to rely on Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine to lead the way to some wins with a big chunk of the team out for however long. LaVine, Ball, and Jones Jr. proved to not be enough against the Cavaliers and now it will be just Lavine and Ball to try to find some ways to get a win. With the Miami Heat only two and a half games behind Chicago if the Bulls go on a losing streak in the next few games they could risk falling all the way down to fourth or fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
It will be very interesting to see how the Bulls will react to this blow as they will have to do something if they hope to keep the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have very high hopes for this season as they made a big splash in the last offseason with the signings of DeMar DeRozan, Alex Cruso, and Lonzo Ball. Many NBA insiders and fans have picked the Bulls to at least make the Eastern Conference Finals and some even picked the Bulls to go all the way this year.
Only time will tell if the Bulls will weather this storm and this will be this team’s true test. Will they keep their composure and rise to the occasion or with they crack under the pressure and mark this as another disappointing season?
Amanda Lynne