The Bulls’ organization still believes strongly in Chandler Hutchison.
Despite an NBA résumé that reads more like that of a high school senior who’s abusing the skip-day policy, the 2018 first-round pick (22nd overall) continues to receive plaudits from the team for his contributions — all 53 games he has been healthy enough to play in.
“He’s got positional size; he’s athletic; he’s a ballhandler,’’ coach Jim Boylen said. “He’s a big piece of this rebuild.’’
Hutchison has heard Boylen say it publicly, but, more important, he has had discussions with him privately and feels good about his standing within the organization. All this despite missing valuable developmental time with toe, hamstring and shoulder injuries. He has been sidelined for almost six weeks with an injured right shoulder.
“Well, if they believe what’s out there and the fact that this stuff has just been a bunch of bad luck, then I wouldn’t expect anything different,’’ Hutchison said Thursday. “Because they had that belief in me when I came here. You deal with certain things, and you hope they still have the same outlook on you based on the things that have kind of gone the way they have. It’s kind of something that I do appreciate, but, to be honest, the reason I’ve felt so comfortable is because we’ve had that relationship, and the belief is there.
“It feels good, it definitely feels good, but I wouldn’t expect anything different.’’
The good news for Hutchison is he’s finally close to a return.
He practiced with the Windy City Bulls of the G League to start the week, took full contact on the shoulder, then had a full practice with the big-boy roster Wednesday.
The hope was to have him ready for the Jazz, but he’s getting one more day just to make sure.
Then it gets interesting.
Hutchison began the season as a key reserve behind Otto Porter Jr. A broken left foot, however, quickly ended Porter’s stint as a starter, catapulting Hutchison into that role.
When the second-year wing went down with the shoulder injury Nov. 27, Boylen and his staff had a few auditions before settling on putting Kris Dunn back in the starting lineup through most of December, a month in which the team went 7-7 and actually showed a pulse.
Boylen has been vague about Hutchison’s role when he returns, but he has hinted that initially it would likely be as a reserve.
Then he’ll take a wait-and-see approach.
For the last five weeks, Dunn has been guarding the opposing team’s best player, including Jimmy Butler, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell on Thursday, so Hutchison would have to show a lot defensively to jump back into that first unit.
Either way, his conditioning won’t be an impediment.
“I’ve been conditioning the same amount, if not more, to make sure that I can be ready to just hop in,’’ Hutchison said. “From that aspect, I feel like I’m in great shape, in a great position.’’
Stern memory
The crowd at the United Center observed a moment of silence before tipoff in memory of former NBA commissioner David Stern, who died Wednesday.
The outpouring of affection for Stern was constant throughout the day, and Boylen expressed his admiration, crediting Stern for helping everyone associated with the league to make “a lot of money.’’
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Chicago Bulls’ Chandler Hutchison set to return - Chicago Sun-Times
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