Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Bulls estimated Torrey Craig will need four to six weeks of rehabilitation after an approximate four-week period where his right foot is immobilized to treat an acute sprain of his right plantar fascia.
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Craig thinks otherwise.
"Being injured sucks, but I'm just going to take it one day at a time. Usually, my body heals pretty fast so I don't think the accurate time was . . . I think I'll be back a little bit earlier than that," Craig said Thursday night. "But we'll see."
Asked what his return goal is, Craig smiled.
"Two weeks," he said. "Nah, that's pretty fast. But we'll see. It's been feeling better day-by-day. I'm just going to keep doing the recovery and keep staying with the therapy to make sure I get it back as strong as possible and no re-injury."
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Craig said a walking boot didn't work out for him so the team placed a steel insert into his shoes. He suffered the injury last Saturday in Miami.
"It just happened on a play. I was driving and I stopped and felt something," Craig said. "I thought the bottom of my shoe had come off or something. I looked and then I thought it was the inside of my shoe. I told Coach (Billy Donovan) I needed to sub."
Craig said his pain level isn't currently that bad and that he's performing foot movements and getting massages as part of his therapy. He said he plans to be around the team as much as possible, although Donovan isn't sure Craig will travel.
"I want to be around the guys as much as possible, especially the way the guys have been playing," Craig said. "I'm going to contribute as much as I can. If I'm on the bench and I see something or I can give guys advice or motivate them any way I can by using my voice, I'm going to do so. That's what winning takes. I'm going to voice my thoughts and be in guys' ears as much as I can."
Teammates talk consistently about Craig's voice being vital. From calling out defensive coverages to supporting teammates to talking to the coaching staff straight, Craig's reputation as a veteran leader is bearing out. Following Wednesday's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, Dalen Terry, the main beneficiary of Craig's absence, said Craig pulled him aside to pump him up.
"I just try to be real with the guys," Craig said. "There are a lot of young guys who don't get a chance to play in this league. So anytime someone goes down, I tell them this is your time to earn your minutes and earn your spot in this league."
Said Terry: "I just want to bring what Torrey brings but also be myself. It’s unfortunate what happened to Torrey. But he embraced me the most. He was like, ‘Cmon, bro, it’s your time to go.’"
Craig's 3-point shooting, offensive rebounding and defensive prowess will be missed---however long he's out.
"He has been an elite offensive rebounder. He's always been good at it. He just has a nose for the ball and helps you get extra possessions," Donovan said. "I'm anxious to see how our offensive rebounding sustains because we've been doing a great job."
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