The Chicago Bulls cannot escape that drama that continues to surround the team this year. While they continue to stay in contention in the Eastern Conference, headlines have not been kind to the Bulls after Jimmy Butler got vocal and trade rumors hit Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. The one thing they cannot afford is another Derrick Rose injury which appears to be something they cannot avoid.
The Chicago Bulls managed to defeat the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday without Rose on the court. The point guard was scratched due to a hamstring injury which could linger longer than the team wants. According to head coach Fred Hoiberg via ESPN.com, Rose has tendinitis in his hamstring and the severity is yet unknown. The point guard cold miss some time coming up.
"I don't know yet," Hoiberg said, via ESPN.com. "We'll see how he's doing in the morning. Hopefully he feels a little better. We're going to give our guys a day to recover after having a lot in a row here. Then he'll obviously get a couple treats and then we'll meet again on Friday morning."
The Bulls are trying to avoid losing Rose for any amount of time as the point guard was just beginning to find his stride following the orbital bone fracture suffered in the preseason. Without him, Butler will man the ship, something he does not mind. Butler made headlines recently for calling out the coaching style of Hoiberg while sources reported that players on the team did not like the swingman's leadership on the court. Butler would only say that he is being held accountable for his words and actions.
"I still got respect for [Hoiberg]," Butler said, via ESPN.com. "I don't think it's a different light. Nothing I do is to disrespect anybody. I think he realizes I'm going to be here, I realize he's going to be here, so we got to deal with each other anyways. I think that he's holding me accountable for everything. He talked to me whenever I was low energy last game, and I fixed it. That's the type of guy he is."
The injury to Rose is paired with the injury to Noah who remains out with a shoulder injury while facing trade rumors. The center is playing on an expiring contract. According to Yahoo Sports analyst Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls are open to dealing Noah along with Taj Gibson, but they have not gotten many offers with the trading period just beginning. The Bulls cannot afford to be without Noah and Rose this season, so the chances a trade actually happen appear slim to none. However, a contract for Noah is a different story.