Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich will be out for 12 weeks after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament of his right thumb. The injury happened during a 100-83 home victory over the Phoenix Suns. While defending Amare Stoudemire Hinrich swiped at the ball and hyper-extended his thumb. The Bulls initially thought it was just a sprain, but an MRI revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
Hinrich is understandably dejected after suffering an injury during his first start of the season. "I was going home last night thinking maybe in a couple days I'd be feeling better," Hinrich said. "I was kinda shocked that I find out today I had torn a ligament." I'm frustrated," Hinrich said Saturday. "I worked hard in the offseason. I'm still trying to figure out how long 12 weeks is going to be and, really, what I'm going to do with myself."
The Bulls now face the dilemma of adding a back up point guard to their roster or trusting traditional shooting guards to run the second team. Ben Gordon, Thabo Sefolosha, and Larry Hughes have all played point guard in their careers but are better suited at playing off of the ball. Bulls Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson said, "We're going to be real careful because right now we're looking at the tax number and all that. I'm going to, first of all, look at the available people out there, but also how does it work with us and the tax line?"
The NBA's luxury tax kicks in when a team's payroll exceeds $71.15 million. The Bulls' payroll currently sits at $70.9 million. The chances of adding an available guard through free agency is slim. Trading for a backup point guard could be a possibility, but with Hinrich returning in February a trade would only further crowd the Bulls' backcourt.
Rookie sensation
Derrick Rose has been learning under Kirk Hinrich on and off the court. "We'll not only miss him on the court but as a leader," Rose said. "He has helped me a lot during practice and after practice. He would tell me about plays and how to defend players. For him to go down will take us back. But we can't have a negative attitude."
Chicago has to move forward without their veteran guard on the court for now. The captain of the team is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, but still plans to make his presence felt on the Bulls. I still want to feel a part of the team, so I'm definitely going to want to be around," Hinrich said. "I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with myself."
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