The Chicago Bulls have been hit hard by the injury bug in the first month of the season -- Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton both have missed several games, while Luol Deng and Taj Boyd were banged up over the weekend -- and while the long-term effects are unknown, the team has done a good job of weathering the trouble up to this point. Chicago enters the week 15-3 overall, which is the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The full 2011-12 Bulls schedule is available here, and this is a look at the week ahead:
Jan. 23: vs. New Jersey Nets (7:00 p.m. CT, WGN)
Deron Williams leads the Nets in scoring and assists, and the team has gotten a nice boost from rookie MarShon Brooks (15.1 PPG), but it's still a franchise clearly in rebuilding mode with a long way to go.
Jan. 25: vs. Indiana Pacers (7:00 p.m. CT, CSN)
The Pacers appear to be the only threat to the Bulls in the Central at this point, as Indiana is the only other team in the division that sits above .500. Danny Granger leads the offense, and Roy Hibbert averages over 10 rebounds per game.
More: Pacers Keep Winning, But Spotty Offense Keeps Nagging
Jan. 27: vs. Milwaukee Bucks (7:00 p.m. CT, WCIU)
Milwaukee is third in the Central at 6-9 overall, though the Bucks have won two in a row.
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