The Chicago Bulls have been dealing with injury issues all season and Friday against the Celtics Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah looking to play after missing some time, while Taj Gibson is also recovering but his return is still up in the air for head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Rose has been in an out of the lineup this season for the Bulls and he has dealt with ankle injuries as well as a hamstring issue. According to ESPN.com, Rose and Noah were able to make it through practice in full on Thursday and there is a chance that they both play against the Boston Celtics for the Friday afternoon game. Rose played for just 10 minutes against the Denver Nuggets and now there is a chance he could be back for the game against the Celtics.
Rose has missed eight games already this season and is averaging 15 points and five assists per game. Rose said that overall he is feeling better and that he should be able to play on a more consistent basis as he comes back from his hamstring injury. Noah is dealing with a knee and an eye injury and he said that he could be ready to return Sunday. The Bulls are on a seven game road trip and they have done 2-3 so far and they still have games against Boston and Brooklyn.
The Bulls come into the game at 9-6 on the season and they are matching up with the Celtics after a loss against the Denver Nuggets. The team will play against the Celtics on Friday before a road matchup in Brooklyn against the Nets on Sunday. The team is currently first in the central division, but the Cavaliers likely will work their issues out and get back into the mix. Rose needs to think long term, but he also needs to be on the court if the Bulls are going to make a championship run.
The Bulls are ranked 14th in the league in points per game with just over 100 per contest and they are ranked 13th in the league in defense with 99 points allowed per game. The team has been getting some strong play from Butler and he has been the key to the solid start to the season. Butler is leading the team in scoring and is one of the leaders in minutes this season and he comes in after scoring 32 points against the Nuggets in the loss.