Dwyane Wade is coming back just in time for the postseason.
Wade could return to the Chicago Bulls lineup as early as Saturday after a broken elbow injury sidelined him for what team officials expected to be the entire regular season.
Sources: Dwyane Wade plans to return from right elbow injury Saturday vs Brooklyn Nets. Story to come on @CSNChicago
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) April 5, 2017
According to Vincent Goodwill’s story over at CSN Chicago, Wade was in “full lather” at the Bulls shootaround at Madison Square Garden before Chicago’s game against the Knicks on Wednesday night. Sources told the reporter Wade could return before the end of the regular season, though his coach was much more reticent about the return.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg declined to say whether he feels Wade will be back before the end of the regular season and Wade declined comment altogether, but with the increased intensity of Wade’s workouts suggests there’s a light at the end of the tunnel — be it a probable playoff showing or sometime sooner.
“It’s a day by day thing with Dwyane now,” Hoiberg said. “He’s feeling better but obviously there’s a lot of work to do as far as getting his strength back.”
Wade went through his first workout before the Bulls played Cleveland last Thursday at the United Center, and he still isn’t cleared for contact so there’s still more hurdles to clear before one can realistically expect Wade to get back on the floor.
Chicago entered Wednesday night as the seventh seed in the East, but just 1.5 games behind Atlanta for the sixth spot with a game in hand. Getting Wade back for the final push to the playoffs would be a huge boost, especially because it allows the 35-year-old to get some games under his belt and get up to speed before the postseason.
(Via NBC Sports)
