Carlos Boozer could be cleared to practice next week
All-star power forward Carlos Boozer could practice with the team next week after missing Chicago Bulls’ first 13 games because of a broken hand he sustained during the off-season.
Boozer, who signed a lucrative contract with the Bulls during the off-season, underwent surgery before Chicago’s pre-season games and the team doctors said on Wednesday night 24 November,
that the former Duke University standout could start participating in contact drills either on Monday 29 November or on Tuesday 30 November.
Bulls first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau is also hoping that the 29-year-old power-forward would be cleared as soon as possible because he knows that Boozer would give them a big boost in
their front-line.
“As soon as we get out of this stretch here, we're hopeful that he'll be cleared to practice,” Thibodeau said. “He hasn't taken on any contact. For us, that will be the next phase. He has
been shooting the ball, doing closeouts, running through skeleton offense, those kinds of things. I think he is on schedule. He said his hand is getting stronger. He is shooting the ball with more range. So that's encouraging.”
Although he could practice with the team next week, Thibodeau said that they would not rush things out and let Boozer adjust to the Bulls’ system first before letting him play for the first
time since undergoing surgery on 5 October.
“Once he's getting through a practice without any problems, we want him to feel good about where he is,” Thibodeau said. “We want him to be able to handle conditioning and contact. For a
big inside, there is a lot of contact. He has to be comfortable with it.”
The former Boston Celtics assistant and defensive coach, Thibodeau, added that if Boozer quickly gets his rhythm back, the eight-year veteran could play on 10 December in their rematch against
the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bulls absorbed a tough 98-91 loss against the Lakers on Tuesday 23 November.
Carlos Boozer, who averaged 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds in 78 games last year, spent his last seven seasons with the Utah Jazz before deciding to accept the five-year deal offered by the
Bulls during the off-season.
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