Dwyane Wade is Out for the Season
So long, playoffs
During last night’s game against the Grizzlies, Dwyane Wade heard a few pops in his right elbow after going up for a rebound against Memphis center Zach Randolph. He left the game during the fourth quarter because of it, and expressed concerns post-game that he might miss more games in the future.
Those concerns have come true.
With only a month left before the start of the playoffs, it’s highly unlikely that an injury of this caliber would be healed enough for Wade to return, especially considering his age and injury history. The Bulls have experienced more than their fair share of controversy about players coming back from injury, and so they’re removing any ambiguity from this news. Wade will not play again in the regular season.
This news essentially dashes any hopes that Chicago had of making the playoffs, unless Denzel Valentine suddenly turns into an All Star. Wade has plenty of frustrating aspects to his game, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a significant cog in the offense. The Bulls will miss his scoring and the respect that he draws from defenses.
The Bulls currently sit in 10th place in the Eastern conference, a game behind both Miami and Detroit and a game and a half behind Milwaukee. They have the tiebreaker against the Heat, but not against the Bucks, so the Bulls will have to pass Milwaukee outright if they want a shot. I don’t see it happening.
It looks as though Chicago is lottery-bound once again, and maybe that’s the best outcome for everyone. It feels almost benevolent to spare the country of a first round series with the Bulls, especially if it means replacing it with Cavs-Waiters. Our first look at the Wade-less Bulls will be on Friday when they face off against John Wall and the Washington Wizards. Until then, make sure to follow Bulls Confidential so you don’t miss any of the best Bulls coverage on the internet.
