The Chicago Bulls desperately needed help at center, and making a run at Nic Claxton was a solid step in the right direction. By every measure, he might be one of the most overlooked and underrated players at the position.
However, as much as the Windy City needed his athleticism and rim protection, the former Brooklyn Nets center also has a history of missing time. And now that he's out with a hamstring injury, one can't help but notice how thin the team still is at center.
Adding Zach Collins to the mix should help on paper, given his skill set. That said, he's been even more injury-prone than Claxton for most of his career, and he's also listed as day-to-day with a toe injury.
The Bulls might have to make another move at center
Claxton is reportedly dealing with a hamstring injury. If it's not serious, he should be back right on time for the start of the regular season. Otherwise, he might be forced to spend a couple of weeks on the shelf at the very least.
Nevertheless, soft-tissue injuries are tricky and tend to linger. Given his history of injuries, the team might err on the side of caution and get him back to full strength before he makes his debut. They might also keep him on a pitch count at first.
That will leave Jalen Smith and Collins (if he's healthy) as the only two guys anchoring the paint. Smith is a high-energy guy who plays bigger than his size, but it takes much more than grit to make it in this league, and there's a reason the Bulls pursued Claxton in the first place.
As for Collins, he's given his team solid minutes here and there, but banking on him being healthy for a full season simply isn't realistic.
The Bulls could also get creative and roll with Noa Essengue or Caleb Wilson at the five in small-ball sets. They have a long and dynamic set of young players who can thrive in today's positionless basketball age.
However, that might be ugly before it's finally pretty, and while they shouldn't bat an eye about losing games this season, coach Tiago Splitter will need some time to work on other stuff first.
Hopefully, this will be just a minor thing, and it won't be long before Claxton is right back in the fold. History isn't on his side, though, and it feels like the five spot will be a season-long headache at United Center.
| More Bulls on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google