Injured Chicago Bulls players Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams could resume contact drills Friday, preparing both for potential returns at the end of the month.
Both were cleared for contact by team doctors Wednesday morning, coach Billy Donovan said ahead of Wednesday night’s road game against the Detroit Pistons. Caruso and Williams could return to practice with their teammates Friday, but Donovan said that decision will depend on their performance in upcoming workouts.
If they do practice Friday, it would mark Caruso’s first full practice with the team in nearly two months since he fractured his right wrist Jan. 21 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Williams will be held to a lower threshold of contact in his first practice since tearing ligaments in his wrist in October.
Donovan said Caruso has been relentless in maintaining his physical fitness throughout the injury, which should allow the guard to make a quick return to the court. After missing nearly five months of the season, Williams will need a more extended buildup to regain fitness before being available.
Caruso and Williams needed to regain strength and flexibility in their wrists before testing themselves against teammates. Both players participated in no-contact scrimmages the last two weeks.
After traveling with the Bulls for Monday’s game in Philadelphia, Caruso and Williams returned to Chicago with injured teammate Lonzo Ball to focus on recovery workouts. Ball’s recovery has not advanced beyond individual mobility drills, and the guard has yet to participate in any noncontact drills with teammates.
All three players could potentially return to the Bulls lineup by the end of March under timelines the team set in February. Donovan previously said all three were still on track to follow those timelines. Caruso likely will be the first player cleared to return barring a setback.
The promise of Caruso and Ball returning is a welcome ray of hope for the Bulls amid a five-game losing streak entering Wednesday and a free fall from the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Without their defensive leaders, the Bulls lost their identity of smothering perimeter pressure.
The Bulls went 18-7 while ranking ninth in team defense with Caruso and Ball on the court. Without the duo, they had tumbled to 21-19 entering Wednesday while ranking 23rd in defense. Regaining Caruso and Ball also would allow the Bulls to take pressure off rookie Ayo Dosunmu, who has played point guard in their absence.
All three injured players face a rushed return schedule as the end of the regular season looms with only 16 games remaining after Wednesday.
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