Chicago Bulls small forward Otto Porter Jr. will be sidelined at least another four weeks because of his left foot contusion and head coach Jim Boylen feels for the swingman.
Porter suffered the injury against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 6. He has been out for the Bulls ever since.
#Bulls coach Jim Boylen on Otto Porter (foot) missing another 4 weeks: "My heart’s broken for him. He’s that big wing, 40% 3-point shooter that the whole league’s looking for, so we miss him. That being said, other guys have got to step up and be ready to play."
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) December 11, 2019
In nine games this season for the Bulls, Porter is averaging 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. The veteran is shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the free-throw line.
The Bulls are 8-17 on the season, 11th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Porter got off to a slow start this season, but it’s probably because of his injury. In the 15 games he played for the Bulls last year, Porter put up 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 48.8 percent from the 3-point line.
Chicago acquired Porter from the Washington Wizards in the Bobby Portis-Jabari Parker trade.
It’s a long season, so there’s no need to rush Porter back until he’s close to 100 percent, especially since the Bulls don’t appear to be a playoff team — although they are only four games back of the Orlando Magic for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
Until Porter comes back, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen will have to continue to shoulder the offensive load for the Bulls.
Follow Us
Subscribe