The Chicago Bulls need to change their strategy because Patrick Williams is out of action for a minimum of fourteen days with a foot injury. Alex Caruso will be required to continue to step up in his place as he continues to have a career-best year in 3-point shooting.
Caitlin Clark is on her way to Evanston as No. 3 Iowa plays Northwestern on Wednesday night.
And Chicago Sky players Ruthy Hebard and Isabelle Harrison are the main players for this year’s Athletes Unlimited season during spring.
Each Wednesday during the season, Tribune writers will give an update on the latest events and future prospects for the Bulls, Sky and local basketball.
Patrick Williams sidelined for two weeks due to foot injury
After Patrick Williams was sidelined for at least two weeks with an acute bone marrow edema in his left foot, the Bulls will need to adjust their lineup.
A bone marrow edema is a condition where fluid builds up in the bone marrow, usually due to trauma or swelling. Rest is the usual treatment, but surgery may be necessary in some cases.
Williams had preliminary tests and was put in a walking boot in Los Angeles during the team’s recent road trip. He missed Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Coach Billy Donovan stated that Williams likely won't play before the All-Star break starts on Feb. 16, but the exact timeline for his return is uncertain.
“We can probably assume he won’t be available before the All-Star break,” Donovan said. “Then there’s another week after the break for treatment and such. But we don’t have a set timeline for when he will return after the All-Star break. He’ll need time to ramp up his playing again to see how he responds after the rest.”
Williams has been averaging 10 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.3 minutes per game this season. He started the season as a starter, then moved to the bench for several weeks, and then moved back to the starting lineup due to injuries to Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig.
Without Craig or Williams, the Bulls don’t have a clear option for power forward. Donovan mentioned that the Bulls will count on Alex Caruso and rookie Julian Phillips to fill this role. Dalen Terry was part of the plan, but he was injured in Tuesday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls will continue to try out playing centers Andre Drummond and Nikola Vučević together, depending on the matchups.
Donovan admitted that this is not an ideal situation for Caruso, who typically maintains his health by playing less than 30 minutes per game. But the Bulls don’t have other choices for the next two weeks as they wait for the return of Craig and Williams.
“We will have to handle it collectively,” Donovan said.
Caitlin Clark is heading to Evanston
All attention is on Evanston Wednesday night when star collegiate player Caitlin Clark and the No. 3 Iowa women’s basketball team take on Northwestern.
It has been two years since Clark last participated in a game at Northwestern on Jan. 28, 2022. That game was a much quieter event. Clark had not yet reached her current level of national fame. She scored 28 points in that win for the Hawkeyes, playing in front of 1,500 fans.
This time, Clark will bring a new level of excitement to Evanston. Welsh-Ryan Arena has been completely sold out for weeks — and only a few tickets priced at $158 or higher are still available on resale sites.
Northwestern men’s basketball coach Chris Collins joked during a news conference Tuesday about the numerous ticket requests he has received.
On Wednesday, Clark could also achieve another historic milestone. She is currently ranked fourth overall in NCAA women’s career scoring with 3,389 points. She is on track to exceed both Kelsey Plum’s women’s record of 3,527 career points and could also surpass Pete Maravich’s men’s record of 3,667 points.
Although Clark won’t break either record on Wednesday, she is expected to 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 will join 16 other WNBA players in the upcoming Athletes Unlimited season this spring, following their time with the Chicago Sky roster last season.
Athletes Unlimited is a professional league that features 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 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, and the WNBA has collaborated with Athletes Unlimited to provide streaming for all games on the WNBA League Pass app.
Athletes Unlimited senior vice president Cheri Kempf expressed excitement about the partnership with the WNBA and the increased accessibility of the games through the WNBA App, stating that fans will be able to witness world-class talent competing to be crowned the individual champion of their sport.
The number of the week is 9.
Alex Caruso is continuing his best shooting season in the NBA career. In Sunday’s win in Portland, Caruso completed his ninth consecutive game with two or more 3-pointers made. Prior to that, he achieved a seven-game streak of two or more 3-pointers from Nov. 6-22.
Caruso currently holds the 23rd spot in the league and is 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.
Ahead this week: Bulls
The Bulls will be playing against the Charlotte Hornets at 6 p.m. on NBC Sports Chicago.
- Wednesday: At 7 p.m., the Bulls will face the Sacramento Kings on NBC Sports Chicago.
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Off
- Saturday: On NBC Sports Chicago at 7 p.m., the Bulls will go up against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- Sunday: Off
- Monday: Off
- Tuesday: Our morning reading list
During their trip, the Bulls are benefiting from the wisdom of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, with one player expressing great respect and admiration for him.
- 4 points to learn from the Bulls’ 104-96 victory, including Patrick Williams wearing a walking boot – but Julian Phillips stepping up
- Bulls’ Alex Caruso moves up to another level with inclusion in Team USA player pool for Paris Olympics
- Opinion piece: Can Illinois ignore 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 postponed by illness
- Can Kyle Lowry – once DeMar DeRozan’s teammate in Toronto – reunite with his longtime friend by joining the Bulls?
- Candace Parker comes back to Naperville Central with family and friends to commemorate state championship teams
- Opinion piece: Gloomy winter days appear perfect for Chicago sports scene – but Caitlin Clark’s visit should bring relief
- Zach LaVine to the Pistons? Alex Caruso to the Bucks? Andre Drummond to the Lakers? The most recent Bulls trade rumors.
- Should Coby White be the main guy for the Bulls in clutch situations?
- “I’m thinking like — ‘Wait, is this the right side if it’s this easy?’ I laid it in and then I ain’t hear nobody yelling at me and I’m like all right, bet, cool.” —
Quotable
Ayo Dosunmu on scoring a dunk off tipoff against the Portland Trail Blazers The Chicago Bulls must change their approach as Patrick Williams is sidelined for at least two weeks with a foot injury. Caitlin Clark is headed to Evanston as No. 3 Iowa faces Northwestern on Wednesday night. And Chicago Sky players Ruthy Hebard and Isabelle Harrison headline rosters for this spring’ s Athletes Unlimited season.
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