The Bulls began preparing for life without Scottie Pippen on Tuesday, one day after the All-Star forward underwent surgery on his left foot.
Pippen is expected to be sidelined 2-3 months, which means more playing time for newcomer Scott Burrell and veteran Toni Kukoc, as well as a possible opportunity for rookie Keith Booth, the team’s No. 1 draft pick.
Pippen’s surgery, performed Monday in New York, left the Bulls in a “this could have been worse” frame of mind.
“It’s better now than somewhere near the playoffs,” said Michael Jordan, who advised Pippen to go ahead with the operation. “Hopefully, he can recover very strongly and come back and play the type of basketball we all expect of Scottie. This could certainly be a blessing in disguise.”
That’s because Pippen is addressing the problem now in an effort to be back by January. If the Bulls can hold their own without him, he should be well rested and healthy as they begin serious pursuit of a third straight NBA title, their sixth this decade.
Their ability to hold their own, though, will necessitate contributions from Burrell, an athletic forward obtained from Golden State last month in a trade for Dickey Simpkins, and Kukoc, who is recovering from his own foot problems and will be forced to get into playing shape a little ahead of schedule.
“We certainly hope that our younger people will step up and that Scottie Burrell will be healthy and play the way we think he can play,” Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause said.
“Keith Booth is going to get a chance to show more of his ability. Hopefully we’re deep enough at the (small forward) position. We’ve lost (Pippen) before, but not for this length of time. When you lose a great player like this, it’s going to affect you.”
The team hopes Burrell will make Pippen’s absence easier to handle. Burrell is a rangy 6 feet 7 inches, with defensive skills and an outside shooting touch. But injuries have plagued him during his four previous years in the league with the Warriors and the Charlotte Hornets.
Burrell said Krause and coach Phil Jackson had informed him of Pippen’s physical problem before the trade.
“They told me his foot was still bothering him a little bit and they didn’t know if he was going to have to have surgery,” Burrell said. “Now he’s had the surgery, and we’re going to have to build from there.”
Burrell, who is struggling to learn the Bulls’ “triangle” offense, said he’s not trying to do too much.
“The major player is Michael,” he said. “Everybody else has to be a role player and fill in. I’m just trying to find my role on the team and fit in offensively and defensively. I’ve got to get familiar with the surroundings here and try to fill in.”
Jordan said he often finds himself trying to pick up the slack when an injury or an absence of any kind leaves a void in the Bulls’ lineup. For instance, whenever Dennis Rodman, who remains unsigned, is missing in action, Jordan focuses on rebounding.
Jordan said he will wait to see what the team needs from him in Pippen’s absence.
“Sure, there’s a natural tendency, from a competitive standpoint, to try to do all the work,” Jordan said. “But I think what Phil is going to try to do is incorporate different players into the situation to relieve some of the tension off myself.”
The Bulls have managed to get along without Pippen before. He missed 10 games early in the 1993-94 season after undergoing surgery on his right ankle and the Bulls–with Jordan in retirement–won 55 games and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals, losing a controversial series to the New York Knicks.
But he has played in at least 72 games in each of his 10 years in the league, and Jordan acknowledged the difficulty of replacing Pippen, even if for only two months.
“Having Scottie here makes us a better basketball team,” he said. “But you deal with the situation and you move on.”
And Jordan, as usual, welcomes the challenge.
“It puts some pressure on us to try to fulfill a role he’s always been able to cover,” he said. “Each and every year, we start off with some sort of challenge. This certainly makes it even more of a challenge.”
