Donovan predicts Bulls' Williams will return by end of month
While Zach LaVine returned to the lineup Monday night in Sacramento, Bulls coach Billy Donovan had a prediction on one of the other injured Bulls.
Donovan projected Patrick Williams to play in a game before the end of March. Exactly when still isn't clear, but the Bulls could use all the help they can get heading into an expected trip to the postseason for the first time since 2017.
"Five months, I think the date was, of how long it would take for him to completely heal," Donovan said. "I think (the Bulls medical team) is pretty hardened on getting to that number they feel pretty confident that he's full healed. He is doing some limited contact, he is progressing well.
"My feeling is I do believe he will be back in March. I'm pretty confident about that unless there's some kind of setback. But I do think if he progresses like this, sometime in March. I certainly don't think it's within the next five days, but after that I think we could be getting close to him getting cleared."
Meanwhile, the Bulls began a three-game Western road trip Monday. Since the next two stops are Utah and Phoenix, this was a game they needed to get.
They couldn't do it. After an awful performance in the first half, the Bulls trimmed a 21-point deficit down to 1, but couldn't finish it off and lost 112-103.
The Bulls used a 12-0 run to get within 90-89, then Coby White missed a 3-pointer for the lead with just under eight minutes left. Derrick Jones Jr. missed a 3-pointer to tie on the next trip and the Bulls never recovered.
Sacramento point guard De'Aaron Fox had a big night with 34 points, while Domantas Sabonis scored 22. The Kings were determined to get the ball out of DeMar DeRozan's hands, but he still scored 21 points. LaVine had 27 points to lead the Bulls (41-27), while Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and 10 rebounds. The Bulls shot 41% on the night.
LaVine sat out Saturday's win over Cleveland with left knee soreness. It was the ninth game he's missed due to that injury, first since the all-star break.
Williams injured his left wrist during a game on Oct. 28, falling hard after a flagrant foul by New York's Mitchell Robinson. Williams had surgery a couple days later, so five months of recovery would put him at the very end of the month.
On March 31, the Bulls host the Los Angeles Clippers to start a five-game homestand leading up to the regular season finale at Minnesota. It may be too late in the year to send Williams to play a game or two for the Windy City Bulls to get himself back in rhythm, but Donovan acknowledged he plans to bring the second-year forward back slowly.
"I think he is going to need some time to get his legs under him, to get his rhythm back, to find some kind of routine," Donovan said. "I do think he can play an important role for our team, but I do think in the second unit is probably what I would be looking for, provided we're whole."
Donovan had no prediction for Lonzo Ball's return, other than it figures to be a couple more weeks. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late January. The original recovery was set at 6-8 weeks after surgery, and he just passed the six week mark a few days ago.
"The one thing that definitely came back on the MRI was a bone bruise," Donovan said. "I think that bone bruise is definitely healing, but that's where there's probably been some pain. He's running, he's doing some lateral work, but he's not doing it full speed.
"Full-speed running, vertically and horizontally, that's what we've got to get him to," Donovan said. "It's probably been a little bit slower because of what he's dealing with, but he's not a guy I have any idea when he'll be back until he can get to a point where he can sprint."
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