Since his second season in the Association, Otto Porter Jr. has averaged 72.4 games played per year.
That number is about to take a huge dip for the Bulls forward this season.
The Bulls announced on Tuesday that further testing showed that Porter’s injured left foot actually had a small fracture in it, and he would be on the shelf for at least four more weeks, before everything is re-evaluated.
But the calendar is already working against the 26-year-old veteran.
Another four weeks takes Porter to the first week of January. Even if everything is healed and there are no setbacks, the rehab as well as getting reconditioned might take Porter until at least February. Then there’s the All-Star Week to consider.
What if the Bulls are all but out of any sort of playoff race by then? Why risk Porter messing up the foot further, especially with him owning the $28.4 million player option for next season.
He’s already costing the Bulls $27.2 million this season, and the last thing this organization wants is spending two years of dead money with a price tag of almost $56 million attached to it.
Either way, some tough decisions might have to be made with him when he is ready to return, as well as the reality coach Jim Boylen now has as far as life without Porter long term.
“Well, it’s heart-breaking for him,’’ Boylen said Wednesday. “It’s difficult with us. He’s that big-wing component. Positional size, you know a 40 percent three-point shooter. His experience, talent, versatility, is something we need. We’ll work our way through it without it like we have. But I think about the player first. O.P. is a great guy, he’s a passionate guy about the team and what we’re trying to build. I’m just worried about him, gotta keep him up.’’
With Porter sidelined and Chandler Hutchison still dealing with a shoulder issue, Kris Dunn has moved back to a starting role, with the Bulls going with a three-guard attack. Once scenario that is now being kicked around, however, is letting Thaddeus Young play some small forward.
“We’ve thought about it, talked about it, talked to him about it actually,’’ Boylen said. “We’ll see how it goes. Thad’s great about everything. No issues.
“He’ll do whatever he can to help the team. That’s how Thad is.’’
Finally getting defensive
The Bulls defense has actually been a top 10 unit from an efficiency standpoint the last few weeks, and now Boylen is hoping to get the offense up and running in that direction, especially now that they know Porter won’t be walking through that door anytime soon to help out.
“I was concerned the first five games,’’ Boylen said about his defense. “I think we talked about it, how our defense had to grow, our commitment to shifting and closing and contesting had to be better, and I think we’ve done that.
“Offensively, I think we’ve made some changes that have been good, but they’ve been different for us. We took Dunn out of the second group, second group was humming, and now he’s with the first group. Second group has been trying to figure it out, and that’s been an issue. There’s been droughts, and that’s what we’re trying to figure out.’’
That second unit is also still a work in progress with Daniel Gafford and Denzel Valentine now moving into the rotation.
