The Chicago Bulls have had to deal with a lot of injury trouble this season, and it hasn't been easy. Right now, a couple key players that are out for the Bulls are Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams. LaVine is out for the season because of surgery, and Williams is battling a left foot injury. Because of these injuries, guys like Coby White and DeMar DeRozan have had to play a ton of minutes.
Chicago just finished up the All-Star break as they are back in action on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics. DeMar DeRozan and Coby White both got the start for the Bulls, and they became the first players this year to hit 2,000 minutes.
DeMar DeRozan and Coby White, simultaneously, just became the first two players in the NBA this year to play 2,000 minutes.
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) February 23, 2024
Coby White and DeMar DeRozan have been playing a ton this season for the Bulls, and Billy Donovan knows that it's been hard for them.
“The biggest thing, I think, is the fatigue factor,” Billy Donovan said to the media on Thursday. “I think when you look at the fact that, is the number of minutes putting them in a position where they're less effective or less efficient? And generally, I think that happens for those guys when the minutes, not so much the totality of the minutes at the end of the game, but what's the consecutive minutes? Quite honestly, I have at times put those guys in some challenging situations. Where I've played DeMar [DeRozan] from, let's say, the six-minute mark of the third quarter throughout the [rest of] game. Or have done that to Coby [White] a little bit. Certainly, I'm checking with them. And you know, Coby [White] has been great at times saying, ‘Hey, can I get a quick one here?’ And I'll do that. I'm always talking to him about that, and I think they understand. For a guy like DeMar [DeRozan], he's coming out at six minutes and he's going back in at the end of that third quarter, middle of the third, maybe towards the end of the third quarter. Sometimes that's a long stretch, but I'll ask him if he needs one [a break], and if he does, I'll give him one. If he doesn't, I generally just go with him. The one thing I've got to try to help them with is just the consecutive minutes and also how efficient or effective that they are in those situations. That's the challenging part.”
Hopefully the Bulls can get some guys back down the stretch, and some stress can be alleviated for those two.
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