The Bulls know Rajon Rondo right thumb injuries all too well.
It was back in 2017 that former coach Fred Hoiberg was looking to shock the world in his one and only playoff appearance, with the Bulls up 2-0 against the top-seeded Celtics, and the series returning home to the United Center.
All Rondo had done against his former Boston team was average 11 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10 assists through the first two wins, including falling one rebound shy of a triple-double in that Game 2 victory.
Following that shocking win, however, the news on Rondo’s thumb broke. And yes, like the news the thumb was broke.
Rondo was out of the series, and soon so were the Bulls, swept the next four games without a veteran presence at the lead guard spot.
Three years later, the news coming out of the bubble last weekend was just as bad for Rondo. The thumb once again betrayed him in a Saturday practice, and now the Lakers will be without his services for possibly eight weeks after surgery.
The good news?
They could get him back in time for the second round of the playoffs, adding strength to their bench for a deep run. A luxury that Hoiberg’s Bulls team never had.
Even better news for the Lakers?
They don’t need Rondo like the Bulls did. Not when the headliners of the latest version of “Showtime’’ are simply known as LeBron and A.D.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis will get that chance to start a championship chase from the Orlando restart bubble next week, when the preseason games begin. And if the bubble holds, that duo is likely the most important piece any team has.
The are not the only key players to keep an eye on, however. Heck, a few of these players might catch a lot of Bulls interest for different reasons.
Fred VanVleet – Toronto: The days of living in Kyle Lowry’s shadow as a lead guard will soon be over for the undrafted VanVleet. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and with many teams facing a tighter cap in the wake of the coronavirus, the asking price might be far less than in previous years or with what’s coming in free agency 2021.
VanVleet, born in Rockford, would actually be the perfect player for the Bulls, able to run a team and be a knock-down three-point shooter. The problem is the only way he becomes a reality for the Bulls is if Otto Porter Jr. decides to not pick up his player option. An unlikely scenario.
In the meanwhile, he was huge for the Raptors title run last season, and with Kawhi Leonard no longer around to play postseason hero, well, Toronto’s holding auditions.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo – Miami: No single player had more success defending the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo this season than the All-Star Adebayo.
If the Heat plan on making a title run it will likely have to go through the Bucks, and will rely on defense. If Adebayo could hold his own against Antetokounmpo, former Bull Butler’s got the rest.
Miami went 2-0 against Milwaukee before the shutdown, but can they keep it going when the stakes are much higher?
Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers: Is the forward ready to take the iron throne from “King James?’’ Well, a third NBA title and third Finals MVP puts him in the same room as James to at least start the argument.
If there’s a team constructed to wipe out the Lakers chances it’s the rival Clippers, but Leonard would again have to be magical on both ends of the floor for that to happen.
