"I don't know if we walked past a black cat or broke a mirror" - DeMar DeRozan on the Chicago Bulls' injury woes

It's been an injury-riddled season for the Chicago Bulls.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries are part of the NBA life, but the Chicago Bulls have been hit hard this season. From star player Zach LaVine’s season-ending foot surgery to Patrick Williams’ knee sprain that happened during the All-Star break, the team has struggled to stay healthy. But perhaps no one is feeling the frustration more than veteran wingman DeMar DeRozan.

Sheer bad luck

Injuries happen for many reasons—overtraining, bad conditioning, and unlucky falls. But for DeRozan, it seems like sheer bad luck has been the culprit this season. In an interview after the Bulls’ practice on Wednesday, he joked that the Bulls must have either walked past a black cat or broken a mirror to be hit with such an onslaught of injuries.

“I don’t know if we walked past a black cat or broke a mirror,” DeRozan said.

“It’s nothing new. It sucks. Hopefully, Torrey gets back healthy soon. We just gotta go out there and work with what we’ve got.”

Chicago’s latest injury setback happened over the All-Star break when Craig, a forward who plays a vital role off the bench with his rugged defense, tenacious rebounding, and spot-up shooting, sprained his knee, sidelining him for at least two weeks. This development, coupled with the slow recovery of Williams, has placed Chicago’s rotation in complete disarray.

Torrey Craig has That Dawg In Him™️ pic.twitter.com/8CTmelnVHP

— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) February 13, 2024

Bulls need extra players

Chicago’s mission heading to the last third of the season is clear: earn a spot in the postseason after missing it last season. At 26-29, the Bulls sit in ninth in the East standings with a tough schedule ahead of them, featuring numerous games against teams that sport records of .500 or better. 

With injuries ravaging the roster, Bulls coach Billy Donovan will have to lean into his core guys a little more, even when the initial plan was to try and scale their minutes back. DeRozan, who rarely speaks up about decisions the front office makes, went as far as to publicly welcome an addition from the buyout market.

“Extra bodies always help,” DeRozan said.

“Sometimes when we run out there in that layup line and we feel thin, it sucks. The more, the merrier.”

Deebo going to work in the clutch.@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/jNcyx3Mqig

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 15, 2024

What awaits the Chicago Bulls in their last 27 games of the regular season?