Chicago Bulls reserve forward Javonte Green is not expected to return to the floor any time soon as he continues to recover and rehabilitate his knee after undergoing knee surgery last month. Bulls coach Billy Donovan gave a worrying update about the Radford product, saying, "It's a little bit of time before he comes back."
Out since January
Green has been out since early January, when the team announced he would undergo a knee debridement procedure. Already out for 17 games, Donovan reported that the versatile forward would be missing more games as he continues on his road to recovery. Donovan added that Green still has many steps of rehabilitation to complete before he can return to the court.
"He's not running right now. He's biking," the coach said of the 29-year-old journeyman who has carved out a role in the Bulls' rotation.
"He can do stationary shooting, but they haven't done anything dynamically with him, lateral or straight-ahead running or any of that stuff. But he continues to progress. The All-Star break coming up will be another important period for him, that week. But he's getting closer and closer to doing more," Donovan said.
Solid contributor
Green's numbers of 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16 minutes of action per game are not eye-catching. However, much like his teammate Alex Caruso, Green's contributions do not always show up in the box score but are very appreciated by his teammates and coaches. From his relentless defense to energizing slam dunks, Green has certainly earned his place with the Bulls and their fans.
Despite the indefinite timeline, Donovan assured fans that Green has not suffered any setback. Rather, he's just making sure he ticks off all the boxes in his rehabilitation process and will take as much time as he needs to get back up to speed Until then, the Bulls will be hoping for a return from their Swiss Army knife player as they try to return to the NBA Playoffs.
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