Chicago Bulls big man Wendell Carter Jr. suffered a sprained ankle during his team's loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night and is expected to be out four to six weeks.
Carter is aiming for the lower end of that timetable, though, telling reporters on Friday that his goal is to return before the All-Star break, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
Carter, who said that it is “devastating” to be unable to play, added that he has ditched his crutches and that his swelling his down.
In 37 games this season, the second-year pro is averaging 11.7 points and 9.9 rebounds over 30.0 minutes per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor and 73.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Carter has also attempted to expand his range a bit, taking 28 3-pointers, but the experiment has not gone well thus far, as he has only made six of them.
The 20-year-old played his collegiate basketball at Duke and was originally selected by the Bulls with the seventh overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft.
His rookie campaign was limited to just 44 contests due to a thumb injury, but when he was on the court, he was impressive, registering 10.3 points, 7.0 boards and 1.3 blocks across 25.2 minutes a night while making 48.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 79.5 percent of his foul shots.
While he struggled offensively during his first season, he showed tremendous defensive potential.
Chicago was actually expected by some to contend for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this year, but it hasn't exactly panned out. The Bulls are just 13-25 and on a five-game losing streak.
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