LOS ANGELES -— Bulls coach Billy Donovan uses terms such as “it factor” sparingly, but that’s exactly what he said about point guard Tre Jones two weeks ago after a victory in Miami.
That “it factor” is now sidelined, possibly for the rest of the regular season.
The Bulls announced Saturday that Jones sprained his left foot in the victory over the Kings on Thursday and would be re-evaluated in two weeks.
That takes the Bulls to the weekend of April 5, and that’s only a re-evaluation. Jones would still need to show that he can go through a few full-contact practices and also make sure that his conditioning is where it needs to be.
Considering the last regular-season game is April 13 in Philadelphia, the runway could be a short one.
“The hope is he would be able to come back, but we’re probably not really going to know much until after that ramp-up starts,” Donovan said. “He’s going to be in a boot for a while. It’s a pretty moderate sprain in his foot, and once he’s able to clear that hurdle, the next part is going to be where his pain is at, how much he can ramp up and how soon he’ll be able to play. So we probably won’t know much until we get through those two weeks.”
Jones has been an instant favorite with Donovan because of his high IQ and toughness.
Since March 2, Jones averaged 14.5 points and 7.0 assists and shot 57.1% from three-point range.
When asked how the Bulls will replace him, Donovan gave the usual answer: by committee.
“I think I’ve been pretty outspoken about what he’s been able to do since he’s been here,” Donovan said. “Anytime you lose a player like him or you lose Lonzo [Ball] or Josh [Giddey] for a period of time, lose Ayo [Dosunmu], guys that have made significant impacts for us, it creates opportunities for other guys, but it’s kind of the NBA. Everybody deals with it. We’ve kind of got to work through it.”
Three-ball, corner pocket
One of the knocks on Giddey through his first three seasons with the Thunder was his inconsistency from three-point range. Guess who has been fixing it since changing teams?
After shooting a career-best 33.7% from three last season, Giddey entered the game against the Lakers at 37.8% from three-point range, including 48.7% since Feb. 2.
There really isn’t a secret to the success. His fundamentals on his shot are the same, but his mindset has changed.
“I think it’s reps; I haven’t changed anything,” Giddey said. “I started to figure out the last two months, missed shot, made shot, move on to the next one. That mindset has kind of been drilled into me, and that’s helped a lot. Now I’m to the point that if I shoot 10 and miss, I shoot the 11th. A lot of shooting is between the ears, so structurally, I haven’t changed anything.”
Getting closer?
Ball (right wrist) missed his 10th consecutive game, but Donovan was getting positive reports from Chicago, and the hope is he could return next week during the two-game homestand.
“I think there’s a possibility that when we get back home, that can happen,” Donovan said. “We have a practice day [Wednesday], and that’s going to be a big day for me in terms of: Can he get on the court? I do think the wrist feels better. It has improved gradually.”