Patrick Williams will have to wait until after the All-Star break to determine the next steps in his injury recovery.
Williams has been sidelined for two weeks with an acute bone edema in his left foot. When he originally was sidelined Jan. 31, the Bulls medical team planned a reevaluation in two weeks — which would have been Wednesday, just before players depart for the NBA All-Star break.
But coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls will not attempt to ramp up Williams back into activity until the end of the break, which concludes Feb. 21.
“The hope now is that once we get into the tail end of the All-Star break that he can actually start doing some more things,” Donovan said. “That’s going to be the real big thing of how did he respond to that. But in terms of his progress of what they’ve been trying to do in terms of calming the foot down and eliminating some of the discomfort he was having while walking, that’s gone. Now the next step is, OK, he starts running, jogging, cutting — what does that look like?”
This type of injury occurs when fluid builds up within a bone, resulting in swelling and pain. The best immediate treatment is rest, which has resulted in a restrictive lifestyle for Williams.
Donovan said Williams has been limited to using a stationary bicycle for all cardio activity. He has been confined to seated weightlifting activities and continued to get up shots by sitting on a box to prevent any jarring trauma to his foot.
The treatment has worked — at least for now. Williams isn’t experiencing pain while walking after two weeks of limited activity and impact on his foot. But the next test will be how he responds to running, cutting and other activities next week. Donovan said he has not been informed of any consideration for Williams to undergo surgery if he experiences pain while attempting to return.
Donovan did not rule Williams out for the Feb. 21 game against the Boston Celtics. But between his reaction to impact and his need to rebuild game fitness, Williams will likely be a down-to-the-wire decision.
With Zach LaVine out for the season and key defenders Torrey Craig and Alex Caruso limited by injury, the Bulls have been stretched thin by the loss of Williams on defense and from 3-point range.
Williams has missed 12 games — including Wednesday’s against the Cleveland Cavaliers — after playing in all 82 last season.
