Bulls' Butler (knee) to play Monday vs. Raptors
TORONTO — Chicago Bulls All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler will play Monday night against the Raptors after missing the past week because of ongoing issues with his left knee.
Butler has only played in one game — a March 5 win over the Houston Rockets in which he played 34 minutes — since suffering a left knee strain on Feb. 5 in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. Butler was asked after Monday’s shootaround if he felt the need to be cautious as he makes his way to the floor again after a week off which included a visit with famed surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, in Pensacola, Florida.
“I don’t think so,” Butler said. “I think I just got to go out there and play hard. Don’t worry about my body and give my all for this team. You got to risk it to get the biscuit … I just got to expect it more now and learn to play through that. I think it’s tough, but I think I’ll be all right. I don’t think it’s nothing major.”
Butler is hopeful that his knee issues are a thing of the past. His knee swelled up after the March 5 win and he has tried to work through the ups and downs over the last week.
“I think so. I hope so,” Butler said. “I need it to be because I think my team needs me to get us into the playoffs.”
Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg did not want to reveal whether or not a specific minutes limit would be in place, but he did acknowledge that the Bulls ‘put a plan together.’ Butler said there is no specific number as far as a minutes limit.
“I think that that’s on them to try trick me into thinking that I’m playing more than I really am,” Butler said. “Because if I know that I want to play there’s ways to disguise it. I think that they’re going to do a great job of that and just keep me focused in the game and not worry about how many minutes I’m playing. While I’m out there I got to be as productive as possible on both ends of the floor. No matter if it’s 48 minutes, 38 minutes, hopefully not eight minutes though.”
“We’re on the same page with it,” Hoiberg added. “It’s just about we’re making sure we’re checking on him at all times. Go out there and stick to the plan. There’s a plan in place, we’re going to stick to that plan.”
In other injury-related news, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is “50-50” to play against the Raptors as he continues to recover from a left groin strain.
“Jimmy’s good to go, he had a good shootaround,” Hoiberg said. “He had a really good day [Sunday]. Derrick didn’t participate in anything [Sunday], went through most of shootaround. He’s still a little bit tight. We’ll go back, get a treatment at the hotel, warm him up tonight and make a game-time decision. We’ll say right now [Rose is] 50-50 [to play].”
Veteran Mike Dunleavy has a stomach virus and did not go through Monday’s shootaround. He is a game-time decision.
Bulls center Pau Gasol did not travel with the Bulls on their two game road trip to Toronto and Washington because of right knee swelling. Hoiberg said he has not been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets yet.
“Pau feels better today,” Hoiberg said. “He had a good treatment this morning with Dr. [Brian] Cole. The big thing right now is making sure that swelling goes down, keeping a close eye on that. As long as that continues to happen, hopefully we’ll get him back before too long.”
The Bulls need everybody healthy as soon as possible. They come into Monday night on the outside looking in for the playoff picture, a game behind the Detroit Pistons for the eighth spot. “How many we got left?” Butler said. “19, 18?”
When told it was 18, Butler responded.
“We need all 18 of these.”
