Bulls’ Hinrich more than happy to get some help
Kirk Hinrich is planning to return to the lineup Wednesday against Brooklyn after missing five games with a sore back.
Whether the starting point-guard spot he vacated Dec. 14 is now occupied by newcomer D.J. Augustin remains to be seen.
In the games Hinrich missed, Augustin averaged 12 points and 7.6 assists. After a slow start, the former Toronto guard has knocked down 9 of 17 shots from 3-point range in the last three contests.
Regardless of how the two players are used, Hinrich said he’s glad to have some help. Before the back injury forced him out of the lineup, Hinrich averaged 39 minutes in the previous six games, and that can’t be conducive to keeping him on the floor.
“I think it’s something we’ve needed, another guy who can play pick-and-roll,” Hinrich said Monday at the Berto Center. “He (Augustin) is a good decision-maker, He’s a knockdown shooter. Just me personally, just to get my minutes down a little bit so I can stay healthier. And I feel like I’m more effective that way, too.”
The value of acquiring Augustin seemed questionable when it happened. He fell out of favor as Indiana’s backup last season, then was waived after playing very little in Toronto early this season. Augustin said he tried not to let those setbacks ruin his confidence.
“I didn’t get down on myself when they waived me,” he said. “Maybe a day or two later, my agent called and told me about Chicago and I was immediately excited. I didn’t know what my minutes would be like here, but I knew I’d get a chance to play and that got me excited.”
The general consensus after 10 days with the Bulls is Augustin fits well in a pick-and-roll offense, which coach Tom Thibodeau likes to run. It’s possible Hinrich and Augustin could start playing together in the backcourt, but that probably depends on whether Jimmy Butler and Luol Deng are healthy. Butler practiced Monday, while Deng did not.
“All it takes is for you to get on a team that fits your style of play and a team that likes you,” Augustin said. “That’s all it takes to stick around. I’ve always been, since college, a pick-and-roll type of player.”
Despite the Bulls going 4-12 since losing Derrick Rose to a knee injury, this recent stretch actually provided some hope for a turnaround. With Augustin and rookie Tony Snell playing well, the Bulls could have a legitimate 10-man rotation when Butler and Deng return.
With depth, maybe there’s a better chance of keeping people healthy over the course of the season.
“We’ve got to get these guys back, that’s the big thing,” Thibodeau said. “I’m a little concerned with the amount of time guys have missed in terms of practice and playing. I think you can become deconditioned. We need guys to come in and get two treatments, three treatments a day. That’s the commitment that needs to be made to the team.”
This is a quiet week for the Bulls. They just finished a stretch of eight games in 12 days, posting a 2-6 record. Now the only game over six days is the Christmas matinee in Brooklyn. Then the Bulls return home to face Dallas on Saturday, so a little rest and rehab should be a welcome holiday gift.
mmcgraw@adailyherald.com