Bulls' Zach Collins Returns from Injury, But Rust Shows in Debut Performance
Zach Collins made his season debut against the Pacers on Friday night, and while he provided a welcome boost to the Bulls' lineup with his eight points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of play, it was clear that rust was still evident in his performance. The veteran backup center had been out for several weeks due to a wrist injury that required surgery, and as expected, Collins didn't seem entirely ready to go.
Making his return from injury, Collins checked into the game with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter, but struggled to find his rhythm immediately. He hit a three-pointer during his stint, but it was clear that he wasn't fully conditioned yet, and the Bulls' dwindling lead in the quarter was largely due to other factors.
Coach Billy Donovan acknowledged that Collins' return was a positive development for the team, given the heavy workload of starting center Nikola Vucevic and the ongoing absence of reserve Jalen Smith. "I think [he's] just another body with Jalen being out," Donovan said. "We have played a little bit small with Patrick Williams... just some size with Collins."
Collins' performance on Friday was also seen as an important factor in his future with the team, given that he and Vucevic are both unrestricted free agents next summer. The Bulls may need to decide whether to lock one of them up with an extension or part ways with both, depending on how they perform over the coming months.
On a separate note, guard Coby White returned from injury and put in a solid performance, scoring 22 points against his minutes. However, several other players were also out due to injuries, including Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, and Isaac Okoro. The Bulls will have some time off between games, which may help the injured players recover.
For the Bulls' coach, Billy Donovan is taking a cautious approach, saying "The schedule comes when it comes... Maybe [this coming week] is a time for us to get healthier."
Zach Collins made his season debut against the Pacers on Friday night, and while he provided a welcome boost to the Bulls' lineup with his eight points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of play, it was clear that rust was still evident in his performance. The veteran backup center had been out for several weeks due to a wrist injury that required surgery, and as expected, Collins didn't seem entirely ready to go.
Making his return from injury, Collins checked into the game with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter, but struggled to find his rhythm immediately. He hit a three-pointer during his stint, but it was clear that he wasn't fully conditioned yet, and the Bulls' dwindling lead in the quarter was largely due to other factors.
Coach Billy Donovan acknowledged that Collins' return was a positive development for the team, given the heavy workload of starting center Nikola Vucevic and the ongoing absence of reserve Jalen Smith. "I think [he's] just another body with Jalen being out," Donovan said. "We have played a little bit small with Patrick Williams... just some size with Collins."
Collins' performance on Friday was also seen as an important factor in his future with the team, given that he and Vucevic are both unrestricted free agents next summer. The Bulls may need to decide whether to lock one of them up with an extension or part ways with both, depending on how they perform over the coming months.
On a separate note, guard Coby White returned from injury and put in a solid performance, scoring 22 points against his minutes. However, several other players were also out due to injuries, including Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, and Isaac Okoro. The Bulls will have some time off between games, which may help the injured players recover.
For the Bulls' coach, Billy Donovan is taking a cautious approach, saying "The schedule comes when it comes... Maybe [this coming week] is a time for us to get healthier."
his 20 minutes of play and 8 points were cool and all but you can def tell he was still shaking off the rust 
and it's great that coach donnie acknowledged that and isnt rushing him into anything. the thing is tho, with vets like vucevic and collins being free agents next summer, this could get super interesting 
how will they figure out who to keep or let go of? 
I'm not surprised Collins showed some rust after being out for so long. Think of it like riding a bike 
- you need a bit of time to get back into the groove! 
. Now, let's see how he recovers and performs over time... 
and while he's happy to be on the court again, it's clear he's still got some work to do 
.
. it's good he can fill in for vucevic, but don't expect him to be unstoppable just yet 
.
and scored 22 points 
! that's what we need more of - players getting healthy and contributing 
. the Bulls need to take care of their injured players and not rush them back into action 
. fingers crossed collins can get more game time soon 
. But what's up with all these injuries?! Ayo, Kevin, Tre, Isaac... it's like they're getting hurt nonstop 
. But man, I'm still hyped for Collins to get back in the swing of things! 
i feel bad for zach collins, he's been out for so long and now he's gotta come back & just kinda...rusty 
I feel bad for Zach Collins, been out for so long he's gotta get those muscles back 
. The Bulls need all the help they can get with all these injuries 
. Coach Donovan seems like a good guy though, always talking about needing to "get healthier" - sounds like he's trying to ease Collins back into the game without making things worse 
. It's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out, especially with Collins and Vucevic both being free agents next summer 
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. You can tell he's been out for a bit too long and needs some more practice in the tank 
. The Bulls need all the help they can get with Vucevic and Smith MIA 
.
. Like, isn't that what backup centers are for? 
! He scored 22 points and looked like his old self. Maybe this is a sign that the Bulls are getting back on track? 
. Like, we get it, you've been out for weeks and your body needs some time to recover. But he didn't exactly blow anyone away with his game performance... 8 points and 6 rebounds in like 20 minutes is decent, I guess 
its like they want us to be able to read or something