Bulls' Porter out indefinitely with foot injury
Otto Porter walked with the aid of a crutch at the Advocate Center on Friday.
Porter missed the second half of Wednesday's win at Atlanta with what was diagnosed with a left foot sprain. Coach Jim Boylen didn't want to put a timetable on Porter's return, but he is definitely out for the Houston game on Saturday.
Second-year forward Chandler Hutchison is expected to start at small forward against the Rockets. Hutchison made his season debut Tuesday against the Lakers after recovering from a hamstring injury and was effective in Wednesday's win in Atlanta.
"His length and athleticism is something that helps us," Boylen said of Hutchison. "He does have a feel for how we want to play in the multihandler system. He can guard multiple positions. I think in general his versatility is a big asset for us."
Porter on pause:
The Bulls had high expectations for Otto Porter when he arrived last season in a trade from Washington.
When he plays well, he's been a spark for the Bulls. Porter scored 10 points in the first quarter in Atlanta, which propelled the team to its best performance of the season.
But he missed 13 of a possible 28 games after the trade and has had some quiet nights so far this season. Now comes another injury.
"I love having Otto Porter on this team," coach Jim Boylen said Friday. "He brings a lot more to this group than just playing. Obviously when he makes shots and he gets us going in that first half, he's a difference-maker. But it's more than that to me.
"He has a calmness and a poise and an understanding. He has great positional size. Obviously he's a three who can play some four. This group is figuring out how to play together. It's unfortunate that he has a setback. But I envision him being back."
Bring the noise:
The Bulls aren't off to a great start this season. On Friday, coach Jim Boylen was jokingly asked if he's turned off the televisions at the Advocate Center to avoid hearing criticism of the team, something Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky suggested this week.
"I have Netflix man. I can watch what I want," Boylen said. "I block out the noise pretty well."