Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
When Torrey Craig last publicly addressed reporters in late December, he vowed to return in two weeks from a sprained right plantar fascia that the Chicago Bulls estimated would sideline him for eight to 10 weeks.
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"Wishful thinking, man," Craig said Friday with a laugh following practice at the Advocate Center.
Craig is able to smile because he's poised to return to play for the first time since December 16, still beating the team estimate by a week.
"I'm excited to try to get back on the court," Craig said. "We'll see how I feel (Saturday). If it feels good, hopefully play. If not, maybe take another couple days. But I feel real, real close."
The Bulls face the Sacramento Kings at home on Saturday and then don't play the Minnesota Timberwolves at home until Tuesday. So the schedule is favorable for Craig's imminent return.
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Craig said he suffered a "minor setback" early in his rehabilitation process but has been doing agility and mobility exercises in his weeks off, while also attacking the weight room to keep his strength up. Craig has never suffered this injury before.
"The way I play, you push off and you plant and you cut and you go after loose balls and rebounds and play defense. So you kind of need that area the most," Craig said. "That's why it's been so difficult and taken so long to heal."
Craig is averaging 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes, shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point range. He also averages 1.9 offensive rebounds, one of the many traits that led to the Bulls targeting him in free agency last offseason.
"I just try to make winning plays, do whatever I can to gain the edge or win possessions," Craig said.
Upon his signing, Craig also vowed to bring vocal leadership to what he termed "a quiet team." During his absence, Craig has been a vocal teammate on the bench, often taking rookie Julian Phillips aside for pointers during timeouts.
"We're still quiet, but it's better than when I first got here. Guys are talking more," Craig said. "But that's just guys' personalities. You can't make guys be something they're not. But guys are doing a good job of trying to communicate. And the toughness has been there.
"Early on, we showed some mental lapses with effort plays. Ever since then, we've been locked in, playing together, playing with an edge, playing with toughness and competing."
Craig said he's confident the Bulls have a playoff run in them. They're currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 23-26 record.
"Every team goes through something," Craig said. "We've had injuries and guys going out. We've been battling and guys have stepped up. I think that will make us better down the road with our togetherness and just getting everybody experience. One of the most important things is playing with team chemistry. And I think we're developing that."