(670 The Score) Bulls big man Alize Johnson on Monday entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported, bringing the team’s total to 10 players sidelined for that reason.
Johnson landing in the virus protocols casts further doubt on whether the Bulls will host the Pistons on Tuesday evening at the United Center. As of Monday morning, the Bulls had eight healthy players available, which is the minimum to play a regular-season game. The Bulls’ hope is that guard Coby White can return by Tuesday from the protocols to bring that total to nine players, but the possibility remains that others could land in the protocols as the team continues to test daily. The Bulls have had five players enter the protocols across the past three days.
Johnson joins White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Stanley Johnson, Zach LaVine and Troy Brown Jr.
as Bulls to currently be in the virus protocol. Players have to spend 10 or more days in the protocols unless they test negative twice 24 hours apart. White landed in the protocols on Dec. 1, and Green followed two days later, so he could be on the verge of returning as well.
The Bulls are fully vaccinated, and “most” players have also received booster shots, center Nikola Vucevic said recently. The Bulls are 17-10 and coming off a 118-92 loss to the also-shorthanded Heat on Saturday.