Caruso cleared for basketball activities, but return not immiment
Coach Billy Donovan said before Monday's game in Miami he's not sure which injured Bulls player will return first, which is a sign no one is particularly close.
Alex Caruso was cleared to resume basketball activities and was on the floor during the morning shootaround. But again, this was Day 1.
"Obviously having his hand in a cast, or a splint, he's got to get his strength back," Donovan said of Caruso. "He can't really even pass with that and he doesn't feel comfortable shooting it. There's not pain, it's just stiff and it's weak. That's going to take some time to build that up.
"I think once he gets to that point, then he'll certainly be cleared for contact. My feeling would be a couple weeks of doing this. He's cleared to do those things, he just doesn't have strength."
Caruso has been out since falling hard on the right wrist on Jan. 21 in Milwaukee, after a flagrant foul by Grayson Allen. Caruso has played in 28 of 62 games this season.
Bulls rookie Ayo Dosunmu and Malcolm Hill sang "Happy Birthday" at shootaround since Caruso turned 28 on Monday.
Williams, Ball progressing:
Patrick Williams is also in the strength-building stage, but he had a different injury than Alex Caruso. Williams tore a ligament in his left wrist on Oct. 28, which required surgery.
"It was such a detailed surgery what they had to do to kind of get the bone back together when he fractured it, he's got to go through a pretty extensive ramp-up of strengthening," Donovan said. "Even like hand against the wall, pushing off, all those things he's got to go through. I think it will be for him probably a couple more weeks."
The third candidate to return is Lonzo Ball, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and has resumed running.
"Lonzo is still doing some straight-ahead running. The biggest thing for him, he'll start to do the change of direction, probably amp up the intensity of his sprints. But he's progressing, nothing has changed with his time schedule."
"I don't feel like, 'Wow, this guy's way ahead of schedule' and I don't think anybody's behind right now. They're all doing pretty well."
Spo knows DeMar:
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra paid tribute to Bulls all-star DeMar DeRozan before the game.
"He's one of those guys that's universally respected," he said.: We've battled against him for so many years when he was in the East with Toronto and he broke our hearts so many times. He was one of the best clutch players then.
"He's just a great player and he's having arguably the best year of his career and this age, I think it just speaks to his commitment to the game. He's definitely having an MVP type of year."