It’s unclear if anyone in the Eastern Conference actually wants the 10-seed, but that’s where the Bulls currently reside with about 20 games left in the regular season. Heck, Thursday could be a potential Play-In preview, as Chicago will travel to Orlando to take on the reeling Magic. Who will be available to play in said game is another story.
After missing Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers due to injury, Josh Giddey has been listed as questionable against Orlando. Also listed as questionable are Lonzo Ball (wrist), Kevin Huerter (knee) and Patrick Williams (quad). Nikola Vucevic (calf) remains doubtful, a designation he’s carried throughout his five-game absence.
With all five missing versus Cleveland, Tre Jones and Dalen Terry received emergency starts, while Talen Horton-Tucker shined as the Bulls’ sixth man. Horton-Tucker logged 31.4 minutes off the bench, scoring 22 points and dishing out six assists.
Dating back to February 20, Giddey has been the focal point of Chicago’s offensive attack, particularly with the aforementioned Vucevic injured. In his last six starts, Josh Giddey has averaged 22.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists with a team-high 24.9% usage rate. It’s a span where Giddey has also produced five double-doubles and 1.50 FPTS per minute. Needless to say, if he sits again on Thursday, it’ll open up a lot of value in the Bulls’ decimated rotation.
