Washington Wizards vs Chicago Bulls: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - January 7th , 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Washington Wizards will put an end to their five-game homestand as they head on the road to face the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 7th.
Coming off a 111-114 loss against the Houston Rockets off a buzzer-beating three-pointer, the Washington Wizards will be aiming to turn things around as they find themselves at 19-19 on the season.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls will look to continue their dominance as they sit atop the Eastern Conference. With an eight-game winning streak, 25-10 Bulls look to be in great shape heading into this game.
Washington Wizards Injury Report
The Washington Wizards will feature a number of players on their injury report ahead of their matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
Under health and safety protocols, the Wizards will continue to see Brad Wanamaker, Tremont Waters and Anthony Gill out of the rotation. All three have either been cleared or are due to clear quarantine but will remain sidelined in order to re-condition ahead of playing in games.
Coming out of protocol, the Wizards will see Montrezl Harrell return in due time as well. However, he will also be out for this game due to conditioning. Davis Bertans and Isaiah Todd have both been listed as questionable with foot injuries.
Rui Hachimura may make a return to the lineup soon. Hachimura spent a long time away from the team due to personal reasons. There may also be question marks over his conditioning, so for now he has also been listed as out for the game against Chicago.
🏽 from Chicago. Montrezl Harrell is questionable for Wiz @ Bulls tomorrow, Davis Bertans (left foot sprain) is doubtful. 👋🏽 from Chicago. Montrezl Harrell is questionable for Wiz @ Bulls tomorrow, Davis Bertans (left foot sprain) is doubtful.
Looks like Holiday and Dinwiddie will be back — only Gill, Waters and Wanamaker are OUT in protocols per injury report. Hachimura also listed as out.
Long-term injuries on the roster will continue to see Thomas Bryant and Cassius Winston out. Bryant is targeting a return this month.
Chicago Bulls Injury Report
The Chicago Bulls will also have a few players to mention on their injury report ahead of their game against Washington.
The Bulls will see Tyler Cook and Javonte Green out of action for this game. Cook is out with an ankle injury and has been listed as week-to-week. Meanwhile, Green has been sidelined with a groin injury. Sustained earlier in the week, he is expected to be out for a few weeks as well.
Bulls injury report vs. Wizards: Alex Caruso, Tyler Cook (ankle), Javonte Green (groin) and Patrick Williams (wrist) are out. Caruso is only player in protocols. Other injuries have been detailed previously. So pretty clean report overall.
Alex Caruso will continue to remain sidelined under the league's health and safety protocols. He is expected to clear quarantine sometime next week.
Long-term injuries will continue to see Patrick Williams out of the rotation. There is no timeline for his return.
Washington Wizards vs Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineups
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards will be significantly shorthanded as they head into this matchup in Chicago. However, they will see some key players returning to the rotation ahead of the game.
With Aaron Holiday and Spencer Dinwiddie available, the Wizards will have some semblance of their starting lineup in place ahead of the game. With Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal making up Washington's backcourt, Holiday comes off the bench.
In the frontcourt, the Washington Wizards will see Kentavious Caldwell-Pope start at small forward. He will be joined by Kyle Kuzma at four and Daniel Gafford at five to complete the frontcourt trio.
Off the bench, the Wizards will have some depth with players such as Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert available. Although Harrell is questionable for the game, if Harrell is given playing time then the frontcourt rotation may also see some flexibility.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls will head into this game with their primary rotation in place. With most of their roster healthy and intact, the Bulls will enjoy flexibility in their lineup heading into this game.
Lonzo Ball's recent return has seen him move into the starting lineup as point guard. In the absence of Javonte Green, the Bulls may opt to start with Coby White at shooting guard. The move would see Zach LaVine move to the small forward position alongside DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, completing the frontcourt trio for the side.
Coming off the bench, Chicago has some depth with Ayo Dosunmu and Derrick Jones Jr. The Bulls may also see minutes from Tony Bradley and Matt Thomas to round out their overall bench rotation.
Washington Wizards vs Chicago Bulls Predicted Starting 5’s
Washington Wizards
G - Spencer Dinwiddie | G - Bradley Beal | F - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | F - Kyle Kuzma | C - Daniel Gafford
Chicago Bulls
G - Lonzo Ball | G - Coby White | F - Zach LaVine | F - DeMar DeRozan | C - Nikola Vucevic