The Chicago Bulls are still dealing with the drama between Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic. Portis served his eight-game suspension to begin the season after punching Mirotic in the face in a preseason practice scuffle. Mirotic suffered broken bones in his face and a concussion from the confrontation he reportedly instigated. Mirotic was set to miss four to six weeks from his injury but who knows if he even remains a Bulls moving forward. A report by NBA.com relayed some new information on the topic.
Portis has gotten support from other teammates as he returns to the active roster.
One of the biggest questions right now concerning Portis' minutes is how it affects the playing time of rookie phenom Lauri Markkanen. The 20-year-old rookie was listed lower on the depth chart in the preseason but the Portis-Mirotic incident gave Markkanen lots of playing time and so far he has shined offensively in the first few weeks of the season.
Welcoming back Portis
In a public apology he made back in October, Portis was ready to serve his suspension and move forward with the team. While the team's players have been overall silent regarding Mirotic lately, others are ready to welcome Portis back. Mirotic still has not communicated much with Portis or the rest of the team which makes the situation for him more difficult.
Team leader Robin Lopez told ESPN's Nick Friedell, "I think he's [Portis] handled it as well as he could have. I don't know exactly what's going to happen going forward with rotations or anything, but I know he's mentally prepared for it, and we're excited to have him back."
Coach Fred Hoiberg made it clear that Markkanen will continue to start, but he is happy to have Portis back.
He told Friedell that he has worked very hard in practice and is energetic about coming back, which Hoiberg likes very much. Like previously mentioned it is not known just how much Portis will play, but it is safe to assume he will be getting solid time nightly if he shows to be an effective piece on this young team.
Niko's future
According to clutchpoints.com's Rexwell Villas, Nikola Mirotic has begun rehab work while still avoiding contact with most of the team. He obviously keeps up with Hoiberg, but still, communicates very little with teammates and is still completely avoiding Portis. This is not a great sign in terms of mending relationships so far, but there are still many uncertainties regarding his future with the team.
Reports from NBA.com a week ago suggested that Mirotic may want to be traded from the Bulls in wake of the incident. It was described as a "one has to go" scenario. In other words, either Portis is gone or Mirotic wants out. A potential trade could not happen until January 15. Him being traded or not remains to be seen but it is obvious that not everyone has moved on from the fight which drags the drama out even further.
