Chicago Bulls looking to make playoff run despite injuries
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bulls guard Zach LaVine will be out at least another week due to a nagging foot injury, not his more recent sprained ankle.
While the NBA trade deadline is six days away, there is some potentially positive injury news for the Bulls, who are looking to make a deep playoff run.
Forward Torrey Craig was a full participant at practice this week. He has a chance to return from a sprained right plantar fascia against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. The injury has kept him sidelined since Dec. 16.
"I had a minor setback early on, but everything has been good since then," Craig said. "It's getting stronger and it's feeling better each day."
As of Friday, the Bulls were three games under .500 and sitting at ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Since getting off to a 5-14 start, Craig feels the team has gotten better at communicating.
"We're still kind of quiet, but it's better than when I first got here," he said. "Guys were talking more, but that's just guys' personality. As long as it's for the betterment of the team, I think guys have been doing good job of trying to communicate, and the toughness has been there."
So, does Craig still feel this team has a playoff run in it?
"Yeah, for sure," he said. "Every team goes through something, no matter what team you're on, and ours has just been injuries and guys going out, and we've just been battling, and guys [have been] stepping up."
Head coach Billy Donovan said LaVine will miss at least another week and be re-evaluated not for his sprained ankle, but the foot injury that kept him sidelined for 17 games earlier this season. LaVine said he was still experiencing some inflammation in his right foot.
The Bulls are just two games and less than a week away from the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8.