After pushing it to the best of his abilities, Rip Hamilton has been shut down until his groin heals completely. Tom Thibodeau put his foot down and said enough was enough. He's been sick of having to sit his starting two-guard seemingly every other game (not literally of course).
I honestly can't blame him. With the playoffs still a long way off, there's no need to let your free-agent acquisition do further damage in what in hindsight could be described as meaningless regular season games.
Then of course, you have to wonder what this means for Hamilton as a Bull. He's over 30, has several miles on his odometer and health is starting to become an issue for him. It wasn't thought of as much before, but now, it's coming into the limelight. I'm just concerned that it could keep him out long enough to have an adverse effect on the Bulls. They still hold the best record in the Eastern Conference, but Miami is closing in. Not only that, but the Pacers have been making noise in the division. They're not far behind either. So far, the Bulls have responded to injuries well, but a few losses lately have made them a bit more vulnerable. Get well soon, Rip. Chicago needs you.
In the meantime, they need to shake off last night's defeat in Philadelphia and start a new streak at Madison Square Garden tonight. The Knicks have struggled so far, but you never know when they could right the ship. Establish the tempo early and everything will be good.
I like Rip and wish he was out there but we need him healthy for the "crunch time" part of the regular season going into the playoffs. Luckily the Bulls have a deep bench and guys are ready to come in and step up with a guys like Rip and Luo on the bench.
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