Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams is a step closer to returning to action, as he was without his soft cast on his left wrist in the Bulls locker room before Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It’s possible he can return by Christmas Day if all goes well with conditioning and getting caught up physically, a welcome addition considering he hasn’t played since Oct. 31.
"I got my other cast off today,” Carter-Williams said. “I'm going to do some strength exercises this week, and then try to get back on the court if everything feels right.”
Calling a Christmas Day return “realistic”, Carter-Williams has been working out with trainer Chip Schafer in the interim, doing a lot of running to keep himself in as good of shape as possible.
"That's what I'm going for. It feels pretty good,” Carter-Williams said. “Like I said, I've still got to do some strengthening for this week, but that's what I'm hoping for. It's nothing really guaranteed, but that's what I'm going for.”
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has at times lamented the lack of perimeter pressure defensively, something Carter-Williams has taken pride in during his short time as a Bull.
Missing a starting-caliber point guard has been felt offensively, too, especially as second unit lineups has shuffled.
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“There’s been guys out, me, Doug (McDermott), (Rajon) Rondo, a team loses three guys like that, it starts to look a little different,” Carter-Williams told CSNChicago.com. “As a whole when you lose guys it’s hard when you have guys who haven’t played together, you’re mixing and matching.”
The Bulls’ bench was already a point of contention before the season started, so Carter-Williams’ absence only magnified concerns when he injured his knee and wrist in the same game, a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Halloween.
“It’s been tough,” Carter-Williams told CSNChicago.com. “If it was just my leg, I could do a lot of upper body stuff. If it was just my wrist, I could do more with my legs. I’ve been learning a lot just by watching. Can’t wait to get back. Just want to be out there so bad.”
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The Bulls have tried plenty to make up for his absence, shuffling players in and out the lineup to mask the lack of a true backup point guard. Like McDermott when the Bulls desperately wanted him back from his concussion scare, the same goes for Carter-Williams.
But just like McDermott, things won’t be in a state of utopia when he does return, as there are plenty of holes in terms of performance.
“With anybody, and they have a role on a team, they think they can help out,” Carter-Williams to CSNChicago.com. “At times, I do think I can be out there to help us win. We’ve had a lot of great moments. It’s hard to see us struggle as a team when you think you can help out and make a difference.”