Bulls plan to use Parker as Markkanen's injury replacement
The Bulls plan to confront the Lauri Markkanen injury by putting Jabari Parker back where they found him.
Coach Fred Hoiberg said the Bulls would start Parker at power forward and Justin Holiday at small forward in Sunday's preseason opener against New Orleans, and chances are the lineup will stay that way into the regular season. Hoiberg said he'd prefer to keep Bobby Portis in a bench role.
"I feel like if you know basketball it's pretty much the same position," Parker said Saturday at the United Center. "So it's not going to sway in (any) direction."
Parker played mostly power forward during his four seasons in Milwaukee and Hoiberg said he'd been trying to leave him at small forward in practice so he can get used to the new position.
Markkanen, the projected starter at power forward, is expected to be out 6-8 weeks after suffering a right elbow injury during a practice scrimmage on Thursday. The second-year pro met reporters Saturday wearing a bulky brace on his right arm.
Markkanen said he didn't think the injury was a big deal when it happened. He kept playing, but it became more painful overnight and an MRI revealed the full extent of the damage.
"A normal basketball play - we had a bunch of guys going for a rebound and I don't know exactly what happened, but I feel like my arm got stuck somewhere," Markkanen said. "I don't know, but I hyperextended it.
"You know the feeling like it gets stuck somewhere and you're like, 'Oh that scared me,' but nothing happened? So that's how it felt (initially), a little sore. But then I woke up in the middle of the night, it was getting worse. Then Friday morning, it was a lot more sore than when it actually happened. That's why we didn't go get an MRI right after practice, because it felt like nothing happened."
Markkanen isn't sure how long he'll need to wear the brace. His conditioning will likely be limited to the stationary bike for several weeks. Based on the recovery timeline, the Finland native will be ready to return in early to mid-November.
"It's a minor setback," he said. "I'm just ready to get back to work. Hopefully I can be even a little better than I am right now. You can always improve other things."
Obviously, this isn't a great start to Bulls training camp. They also lost Denzel Valentine for two weeks with a left ankle sprain.
The Bulls are hoping to take a step forward this season, but they're also a long way from championship contention. So any bad news should be taken with a grain of salt.
"It's not deflating. It's just disappointing for Lauri," Bulls vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said. "He had such a good summer. We talked about if we stay healthy, so you almost have to laugh at it. Fortunately, it's not something where surgery is required."
Hoiberg tried to focus on the bright side, mentioning that rookie Chandler Hutchison will now get plenty of opportunities to play in preseason, and probably early in the regular season. Also, Wendell Carter Jr. was OK after falling on his left shoulder during Thursday's scrimmage and is expected to play Sunday.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls