Tag: Torrey Craig

Billy Donovan expresses frustration after Craig-Drummond collision

After the Torrey Craig-Andre Drummond collision, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan shared his thoughts.

The Chicago Bulls took on the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. After a brief period when the game was close at the start, the Knicks earned a fairly comfortable victory. New York took down Chicago by a score of 128-117, and at its largest, their lead was 17 points in the third quarter.

But as if that weren’t bad enough, the Bulls also had a viral moment at the beginning of the second quarter. Torrey Craig was on a fastbreak when he decided to throw the ball off the backboard for a self-alley-oop. However, Andre Drummond thought he was throwing it to him, so the two players collided mid-air.

Head coach Billy Donovan expressed his frustration with the play after the game. (H/t ESPN)

“To me, it was just really disappointing,” Donovan said.

The Bulls need to win as many games as possible down the stretch of the season, but plays like this won’t help.

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Torrey Craig shares thoughts on viral blunder with Andre Drummond

After their viral moment in the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the New York Knicks. Torrey Craig spoke about his collision with Andre Drummond.

The Chicago Bulls are fighting to maintain home-court advantage in their 9-10 Play-In game against the Atlanta Hawks. They are just one game ahead of the Hawks in the standings. Unfortunately, while the Hawks lost on Tuesday night, giving the Bulls a chance to pull ahead, Chicago also fumbled, falling to the New York Knicks by a score of 128-117.

And to make matters worse, the Bulls had a viral moment during the game – in the worst way possible. At the beginning of the second quarter, after the Knicks had led the way for most of the first, Torrey Craig got a fastbreak. He threw the ball off the backboard, going for a self-alley-oop, but Andre Drummond also went for it.

The two players collided mid-air, and they both missed the shot. After the game, Craig spoke about the moment. (H/t ESPN)

“I just wanted to try to create some excitement,” Craig said.

It was an ugly sight, and the Bulls went on to lose the game.

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Bulls teammates Torrey Craig and Andre Drummond went for a dunk at the same time, and it didn’t go well

Oh no. This was rough.

The Chicago Bulls learned the hard way on Tuesday night that all fast breaks are not good breaks.

During an absolutely bizarre sequence against the New York Knicks, Bulls forward Torrey Craig got a clear lane for an easy basket that he lobbed to himself on the backboard for the obvious dunk.

Well, his Bulls teammate Andre Drummond got confused and thought the lob was for him, as he went for the dunk at the same time as Craig did.

The shocking miscue sent Craig flying to the ground and the ball in a different direction from the hoop entirely.

Drummond was unfortunately injured right after this sequence, making it a very frustrating series of events for him and Chicago.

The Bulls have been a fringe playoff team all season, but the fringes can be an unflattering place to be in moments like this.

These types of mishaps don’t often happen to title contenders, more like teams that could use a good offseason reset.

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The Chicago Bulls are starting to feel the pinch of the injury bug

The Bulls were hoping that internal development and improving health might have them in the mix for the play-in tournament.

The Chicago Bulls are starting to feel the pinch of the injury bug again after a few healthy weeks. Word is that veteran forward Torrey Craig is going to miss at least two to four weeks with a knee injury. Craig has not been back long since returning from another injury earlier in the season, just as the Bulls’ front office was hoping that internal development and improving health might have them in the mix for the play-in tournament.

Now, new and additional injury intel is percolating through the Chicago media landscape, with forward Patrick Williams being put on the injury list as well. Williams evidently cannot run at the moment due to his own malady below the belt, which is sort of a required component of playing NBA basketball.

“Locked On Bulls” cohost Pat The Designer sat down and held a magnifying glass to the situation in light of the front office’s decisions at the trade deadline.

Check it out above!

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Several Chicago Bulls get updated overall player ratings for NBA 2K24

And despite how this season has been going might make you think, they are mostly for the better!

The NBA has put the All-Star Game and All-Star Week festivities behind them as the Chicago Bulls and the rest of the league gears up for the stretch run. But there is at least one other annual update to consider for fans of the video game version of the Association.

The folks who keep the NBA 2K franchise running smoothly and up-to-date on the state of the play (and players) of the league have updated overall player ratings around the Association. Those updates include a number of players on the Chicago Bulls roster (and most of them are for good), reflecting internal development on the team.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at which Bulls saw their player ratings change with the new update.

Breaking news: Bulls’ Torrey Craig to miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury

The Chicago Bulls may just have to deal with the NBA’s 2023-24 season being a snakebit one.

The Chicago Bulls may just have to deal with the NBA’s 2023-24 season being a snakebit one in terms of injuries. We are hearing word that veteran forward Torrey Craig now needs to miss between two and four weeks with a knee injury starting to percolate through the NBA media sphere.

The Bulls could simply elect to ride out the season with the players they have already on the roster, or they could sign a buyout candidate or 10-day guy to help out while Craig heals up. They could also consider leaning into one of their two way players to fill the gap as the team tries to fight its way into the NBA’s 2024 play-in tournament.

The host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, took some time on a recent episode to talk us through what the Craig injury means for the Bulls plans for the rest of the 2023-24 season.

Check it out above!

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DeMar DeRozan discusses how much Bulls miss injured players

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan recently discussed how much they miss their injured players.

The Chicago Bulls have pulled their way back into the Play-In Tournament, which is impressive, considering they started the year 5-14. Perhaps more impressive, however, is the fact that they’ve performed so well with so many of their core players sidelined with various injuries.

Zach LaVine hasn’t played in a game since November 28, Nikola Vucevic has missed a string of games, and Torrey Craig has missed some time as well. With them absent, DeMar DeRozan and Coby White have had to carry a heavy load, which is no easy feat. Luckily for Chicago, they’ve been doing a great job and have kept the Bulls in the win column.

After the Bulls’ 116-110 loss to the New York Knicks, DeRozan spoke about how much they miss the players who have been out. (H/t Sam Smith of NBA.com)

“Not to make an excuse, but we miss a lot of critical guys at a critical time,” DeRozan said. “We’ve all been doing our part, hold down the fort as best as we can. But it’s come to the point where we’re missing other guys that can contribute, more bodies that we can throw out there. We need the rest of the troops, that type of feeling. We’ve been competing our butts off, but those stints like tonight. That’s when you wish you had a guy out there like Vooch [Vucevic], TC [Craig], Zach [LaVine] to kind of shift the game a little bit for us.”

The Bulls have been playing well, but they could use some reinforcements sooner rather than later.

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Torrey Craig vows to raise Bulls’ toughness: ‘A little bit more edge’

Torrey Craig recently spoke about how he plans to raise the toughness level of the Chicago Bulls: “A little bit more edge.”

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Heading into the summer, the Chicago Bulls set their sights on improvement. Instead of dialing back and heading toward a rebuild, the Bulls decided to sign extra pieces and push for the postseason. In turn, they signed Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency to improve their squad’s depth.

Both players are great 3-point shooters, which is something the Bulls desperately needed, as they were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA last year. On top of that, both players will help Chicago on the defensive end as well, raising their already-solid level of play on that side of the ball.

During a recent chat with KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Craig vowed to raise the toughness level of the Bulls.

“I was telling Coach (Billy Donovan) one day, just watching the games and seeing how much talent they had and some of the games they would lose and seeing how I could contribute and bring a little bit more toughness, a little bit more edge, a little bit more competitiveness to some of those games to be more consistent,” Craig said. “That definitely played a factor in my decision to come here.”

He also spoke very highly of the Bulls’ playoff chances.

“Winning and playing at a high level it definitely translates. I’m going to ride that confidence here,” Craig said. “Everybody knows two of the most talented scorers on the team with LaVine and DeRozan. Once those guys get it going, it’s pretty much a wrap. As a defender, I can give those guys tips and advice on what teams want to do and how they want to guard them and the insight I had playing against those guys to give them any edge they need.”

What do you expect from Craig in a Bulls uniform?

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Torrey Craig predicted to start over Patrick Williams for Bulls

Will Torrey Craig start at the power forward position for the Chicago Bulls over Patrick Williams?

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After two years of little playoff success, the Chicago Bulls made changes to the roster this summer. They didn’t make any major moves, but they brought in Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency, both of whom are projected to play big-time minutes for the Bulls this season.

Carter is expected to step into the starting point guard spot, while Craig could take on any number of roles. However, according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Craig could end up starting for the Bulls over Patrick Williams. He believes the veteran will earn the spot and play more minutes than Williams.

Buckley pointed toward Craig’s defense and 3-point shooting as reasons he will end up starting over Williams.

“First, the 32-year-old is among the more reliable defenders in this league,” Buckley wrote. “He is versatile and tireless at that end, traits that could uber-valuable in the starting five alongside Chicago’s offense-first stars.

“Second, he ramped up his outside shooting this past season and wound up with career highs in makes (1.3 per game) and accuracy (39.5). If he’s comfortable spotting up in the corners, he’ll be easy to keep on the floor with the Bulls’ more ball-dominant options.

“As for Williams, he might benefit from playing a prominent role with the second team instead of a supporting one with the starters. He is still in the developmental stage of his career — he hasn’t even turned 22 yet — so he needs all the touches he can get.

“However, that lack of experience could have him taking a backseat in big moments to Craig, who has a chance to edge out Williams in average minutes.”

Who do you think should start for the Bulls at the power forward position next year?

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Who should start for Bulls: Patrick Williams or Torrey Craig?

Who should the Chicago Bulls place in the starting lineup: Patrick Williams or Torrey Craig?

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The Chicago Bulls made numerous solid moves this summer in an attempt to improve the roster around their stars. They re-signed Nikola Vucevic and Coby White, and, in free agency, they brought in veterans Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig. As result, the overall ceiling of the team improved.

However, with all of the additions come crucial questions: Who starts and who comes off the bench? There has already been an indication that Carter could start over White at the point guard, but what about the power forward position? Is there a chance Craig earns the starting job over Patrick Williams?

Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation recently pondered this question.

“As for the power forward slot, the Bulls are in desperate need of more physicality and rebounding,” Schuster wrote. “Craig snagged a career-high 5.4 rebounds per game last season, including 2.7 OREBs per 36 minutes. Williams has continued to struggle when it comes to consistently cleaning the glass, which is something I’m sure the coaching staff will keep in mind. Where Williams should have the edge on Craig, however, is in the physicality department. While Craig is a switchable and talented defender, there is little question that Williams’ frame and sheer athleticism can be a real asset. I’d also say that there is comfortably more offensive upside with Williams. But this could actually end up as a reason to put him in the second unit, as he’ll be able to tap into this side of his game more without Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic on the floor.”

Ultimately, though, he landed on Williams.

“When we consider how important Williams remains to the Bulls’ long-term future, I’d probably prefer to see him eating up starting minutes,” Schuster wrote. “But I also can’t deny that Craig is a great fit next to the team’s “Big 3” on paper. We’ll just have to wait and see where Donovan’s head is at. If one thing is for sure, this is a decent problem to have.”

Who should start?

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