Collin Sexton Upgraded, Isaac Okoro Still Out?

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The Chicago Bulls will have a little more fire power on the offensive end tonight.

Entering the day as questionable, head coach Billy Donovan confirmed that Collin Sexton will suit up against the Toronto Raptors. The news comes after Sexton suffered a leg injury against the Sacramento Kings. He has since sat out four consecutive games, where the Bulls have gone a surprising 2-2.

Before his injury, Sexton was playing easily his best basketball of the season. The guard had 20+ points in four straight games, and this included a 28-point outburst against the Kings in his 22 minutes of action. The question now is whether or not he can pick up where he left off.

If one thing is for sure, it will be in the Bulls’ best interest to ensure Sexton doesn’t take too many possessions away from Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey. The team’s two core pieces have been excellent over the last handful of games, with Buzelis showing the most improvement as an all-around scoring threat.

As for Isaac Okoro, he is now set to miss his fifth straight contest. The forward was ruled out right before tip-off against the Golden State Warriors with knee soreness. He had previously played 55 of the team’s 64 games and served as their top defender. Missing him against the Raptors could pose some serious problems, especially when we remember Brandon Ingram dropped 31 points on the Bulls in their last meeting.

Both Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey also remain sidelined, but they each received a meaningful update this week. The Bulls are set to re-evaluate Ivey in a little less than a week. The guard has been working on strengthening his previously injured knee for the past few weeks, and the goal appears to be for him to return before the end of the season.

Simons will be re-evaluated a few days after Ivey as he continues to rehab a fractured wrist. The Bulls have not acted like a team willing to sit players for the sake of development or lottery odds, but this could very well be the right move down the stretch. Not only are they very much at risk of seeing their chance of a Top 4 pick this summer shrink, but welcoming Simons and Sexton back would only eat further into potential minutes for Ivey. Considering the former Pistons guard is a restricted free agent this offseason, seeing how he fits next to Giddey and Buzelis feels like it should be the priority.

Alas, what the Bulls should do and what they actually do are typically two very different things.

Anfernee Simons – OUT (wrist)
Jaden Ivey – OUT (knee)
Isaac Okoro – OUT (knee)
Noa Essengue – OUT FOR SEASON (shoulder)
Zach Collins – OUT FOR SEASON (wrist)