MINNEAPOLIS _ The Bulls will move another step closer to the team they envisioned at the start of the season when forward Lauri Markkanen returns against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night to play his first game since Jan. 22.
Markkanen missed 15 games after the Bulls discovered a stress reaction in his right pelvis, which also allowed him to heal a nagging ankle injury he had played through for weeks. He will be limited to about 18-20 minutes in his return.
"Play hard, rebound, defend, push the ball when you have an opportunity in the multi-handler system, make good decisions, just compete," coach Jim Boylen said of his expectations for Markkanen. "I want his compete level to be high, which I'm sure it will be. Everything else will fall into place."
Things are starting to fall in place for the Bulls, and they can finally begin measuring their talent for this final stretch in an otherwise lost season. Even though guard Zach LaVine will miss his second straight game and is expected to be sidelined for at least a week with a strained left quad, the Bulls have gotten a key player back from injury in each of the past three games.
Wendell Carter Jr. returned to the starting lineup Saturday against the Knicks and Otto Porter Jr. followed with a return off the bench Monday against the Mavericks. They are both expected to see an increase in minutes Wednesday, with Carter set to play about 22-24 minuets while Porter remains around 20-22 minutes. Boylen will continue to bring Porter off the bench to add balance to the rotation and get a glimpse at how the Bulls forward finishes and starts the first and second quarters.
With so many moving pieces coming back, Boylen has found himself juggling minutes as he attempts to reacclimate his players into the lineup. "It's difficult on them. It's difficult on teammates too," Boylen said. "We've got guys who have accepted roles and played really hard for us the last month. Now those roles change ... When a guy comes back, there are a couple more moving parts."
But the success of the Bulls hinges on the development of their core. LaVine had held up his end of the bargain before this recent injury. Coby White was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the month for February. Carter's play was mostly a bright spot before he got hurt, and Porter showed what kind of dynamic scorer he can be in his first game back, pouring in 18 points in 17 minutes on Monday.
It makes the final 21 games of the season important for Markkanen, whose production had dipped to career lows in points (15.0) and shooting percentage from the field (42.4%) and from beyond the arc (34.4%).
"I've got some good work in," Markkanen said after practice Tuesday. "Of course games are going to be a little different. I don't know if it's going to take a while to make some shots or not, but I've been feeling good on the court. It doesn't feel like I've been sitting out."
