Chicago Bulls

The Bulls remain mired in the middle of the Eastern Conference. Despite a breakout season for Coby White, who finished second in Most Improved Player voting, the team was unable to escape the Play-In Tournament for the second straight year. Injuries remained a problem with Lonzo Ball missing his second straight season due to knee issues.

Yet Ball was simply one piece of an ongoing concern for Chicago. With the exception of Alex Caruso’s game lost for neck soreness and an upper respiratory infection for Ayo Donsunmu, all of Chicago’s games lost to injury were attributed to the lower extremities. Several of these injuries were significant including Ball’s knee, a navicular stress reaction for Patrick Williams, and a non-union Jones fracture in Zach LaVine’s right foot.

In an attempt to improve team health, the front office opted to move on from Director of Performance Health Chip Schaefer. Schaefer was replaced by Eric Waters, an athletic trainer with years of NBA experience, including a four-year run as an assiant athletic trainer for the Bulls from 2000-2004. He most recently served as the Head Athletic Trainer of the Jazz for six seasons during which Utah ranked as the fourth best staff in the NBA.

The numbers should immediately improve in year one for Waters with Ball expected to play this season after returning during the preseason. Reducing injuries, especially other lower extremity problems, could also allow the younger talent to improve while bolstering the trade market value for veterans like LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.