The Chicago Bulls will need to change how they play with Patrick Williams out. Patrick Williams will not be playing for at least two weeks. Alex Caruso will be expected to continue his strong 3-point shooting while stepping in for Williams, who is out with a foot injury.
Caitlin Clark is on her way to Evanston. Third-ranked Iowa will be playing Northwestern on Wednesday, with Caitlin Clark in action.
Ruthy Hebard and Isabelle Harrison from the Chicago Sky will be featured in this spring's Athletes Unlimited season.
Tribune writers will provide weekly updates on the Bulls, Sky, and local basketball happenings.
Patrick Williams to miss two weeks due to foot injury.
The Bulls will have to adjust their lineup due to Patrick Williams being sidelined for at least two weeks with a bone marrow edema in his left foot.
A bone marrow edema is when fluid accumulates in the bone marrow, usually caused by an injury or swelling. Rest is the typical treatment, but surgery may be necessary in some cases.
After undergoing initial tests, Williams was put in a walking boot in Los Angeles during the team's road trip. He did not play in Sunday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Coach Billy Donovan stated that it's unlikely Williams will play before the All-Star break and there is uncertainty about his return timeline..
Donovan mentioned that Williams won't likely return before the All-Star break starts on Feb. 16, and his timeline after the break is uncertain.
Donovan anticipates that Williams won't be back before the All-Star break, with an additional week for treatment. The timeline beyond the break is unknown, and his return will require a gradual ramp-up period to gauge his response post-rest.
This season, Williams has averaged 10 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 27.3 minutes per game. He started the season as a starter, shifted to the secondary lineup, then returned as a starter after injuries to Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig.
In the absence of Craig and Williams, the Bulls lack a primary option for power forward. Donovan mentioned that Alex Caruso and rookie Julian Phillips will step in. Dalen Terry was initially part of the plan but got injured in Tuesday's game against the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls will also explore playing centers Andre Drummond and Nikola Vučević simultaneously based on matchups.
Donovan acknowledged that this is not an ideal situation for Caruso, who typically plays fewer than 30 minutes per game to maintain his health. However, the Bulls have no other options for at least two weeks as they await the return of Craig and Williams.
Donovan explained that they will have to handle the situation collectively.
Caitlin Clark will be in Evanston.
Evanston will be the center of attention on Wednesday night. The No. 3 Iowa women's basketball team, led by star Caitlin Clark, will compete against Northwestern.
It’s been two years since Clark last played at Northwestern on Jan. 28, 2022. That game was a much quieter event. Clark had not yet reached her current level of fame nationwide. She scored 28 points in that victory for the Hawkeyes, performing in front of 1,500 supporters.
This time, Clark will bring a new level of excitement to Evanston. Welsh-Ryan Arena has been completely booked for weeks — and only a few tickets priced at $158 or more are left on resale websites.
“I can’t tell you how many ticket requests I’ve gotten,” Northwestern men’s basketball coach Chris Collins quipped during a news conference Tuesday.
Clark could also achieve another milestone on Wednesday. She is currently ranked fourth overall in NCAA women’s career scoring with 3,389 points. She is set to surpass both Kelsey Plum’s women’s record of 3,527 career points and could also exceed Pete Maravich’s men’s record of 3,667 points.
Though Clark won’t break either record on Wednesday, she should surpass Jackie Stiles (3,393 career points) and Kelsey Mitchell (3,402 career points) to become second behind Plum in women’s career scoring. Clark averages 32 points, 7.6 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Ruthy Hebard and Isabelle Harrison join Athletes Unlimited
Two players from last season’s Chicago Sky roster — Ruthy Hebard and Isabelle Harrison — will join 16 other WNBA players in the Athletes Unlimited season this spring.
Athletes Unlimited is a professional league featuring 40 athletes during a four-week season from Feb. 29 to March 23. Teams are drafted each week by the captains, who are selected based on high scoring throughout the season. The individual player with the highest point tally at the end of the season will receive a roughly $50,000 payout while the rest of the players will receive a portion of a $1 million pool.
This year’s season will be hosted in Dallas. The WNBA has partnered with Athletes Unlimited to provide streaming for all games on the WNBA League Pass app.
“We are thrilled to build on our relationship with the WNBA and once again partner to bring Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball to the most passionate fans of the sport through the WNBA App,” said Athletes Unlimited senior vice president Cheri Kempf. “We are very glad that these games will be even more widely accessible this season, as fans will be treated to world-class talent competing to be crowned the individual champion of their sport.”
Number of the week: 9
Alex Caruso is continuing the best shooting season of his NBA career. In Sunday’s win in Portland, Caruso tallied his ninth consecutive game with two or more 3-pointers made. Before that, he notched a seven-game streak of two or more 3-pointers from Nov. 6-22.
Caruso is 23rd in the league and tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference in effective 3-point shooting percentage. He is shooting 41.5% from behind the arc on 4.4 attempts per game.
Week ahead: Bulls
- Wednesday: at Charlotte Hornets, 6 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Off
- Saturday: Sacramento Kings, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
- Sunday: Off
- Monday: Off
- Tuesday: Minnesota Timberwolves, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
What we’re reading this morning
- Bulls soak in wisdom from Hall of Famer Phil Jackson during trip: ‘I’ve always had great respect and admiration for him’
- 4 things to learn from the Bulls’ 104-96 victory, including Patrick Williams wearing a walking boot — but Julian Phillips stepping up
- Bulls’ Alex Caruso achieves ‘another level’ with selection to Team USA player pool for Paris Olympics
- Opinion: Can Illinois silence the criticism around Terrence Shannon Jr. and return to the Final Four?
- Lonzo Ball is back on the bench with the Bulls — but his return to running is delayed by illness
- Could Kyle Lowry — who was once DeMar DeRozan’s teammate in Toronto — reunite with his long-time friend with the Bulls?
- Candace Parker returns to Naperville Central with family and friends to celebrate state championship teams
- Opinion: Gloomy winter days seem perfect for Chicago sports scene — but Caitlin Clark’s visit should provide a break
- Zach LaVine to the Pistons? Alex Caruso to the Bucks? Andre Drummond to the Lakers? The latest Bulls trade rumors.
- Should Coby White be the main guy for the Bulls in pressure situations?
Quotable
“I’m thinking like — ‘Wait, is this the correct side if it’s this easy?’ I laid it in and then I didn’t hear anybody yelling at me and I’m like all right, bet, cool.” — Ayo Dosunmu on scoring a dunk off tipoff against the Portland Trail Blazers
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