Thad Young ready to play after left leg infection originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Following Tuesday’s shootaround, Thad Young said he’s available to make his season debut versus the Wizards but whether he plays and how much is up to Billy Donovan. The Bulls’ coach doesn’t address reporters until pregame.
Young participated in the morning shootaround before the first preseason game on Dec. 11 and was addressing reporters via Zoom from the Advocate Center when he started experiencing numbness in his lower left leg. A hospital visit confirmed Young had MRSA, an abbreviation for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a painful bacterial infection that once threatened the career of Grant Hill.
“Feeling good. There’s no problems, no issues,” Young said. “Been able to get out and play a little basketball, some 3-on-3 and stuff like that. Haven’t really did any 5-on-5 activity because we haven’t had much time to practice nor much time to get in the gym for long periods of times with these games kind of jumping over each other.”
If Young plays, he likely would come off the bench if Lauri Markkanen is able to go after suffering a left calf contusion that sidelined him down the stretch of Sunday’s loss to the Warriors. The Bulls listed Markkanen as questionable.
Young said he’s been talking to the young players in the starting lineup, which include Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr., Patrick Williams and Markkanen, about keeping poise and patience and moving onto the next play.
“We don’t have a lot of guys in that starting unit that’s won many games and been down the stretch having to fight through a lot of adversity. Those guys are more in the second unit with me, (Otto Porter Jr.), Sato (Tomas Satoransky), guys who are more in the vets perspective. Garrett Temple. Not having that, we have to teach those guys from the bench or we have to make sure we’re calming those guys down and continue to talk to them.”
The Bulls lead the league with 19.7 turnovers per game. The Wizards, who also are 0-3, lead the league in fourth-quarter point differential at an unsightly minus-16.3.
