Chicago Bulls defense missing something without Kirk Hinrich

With starting point guard Kirk Hinrich ailing, the Chicago Bulls miss his defensive presence on the perimeter, as Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago writes. The Bulls lost 101-95 to the Boston Celtics on Monday night without Hinrich, who is dealing with a right hip injury.

On Tuesday, Hinrich said, "I don’t want to be in and out of the lineup. That’s my focus right now. Figure out the root of problems and take care of them and stay on top of them," while adding that he was optimistic about being able to play in Wednesday night's game against the Phoenix Suns,

Without Hinrich, the Bulls have depended on Nate Robinson and rookie Marquis Teague to handle point guard duties, but the pair has left something to be desired on the defensive end. Hinrich is no longer a particularly good offensive player, he's averaging 5.7 points per game on 32 percent shooting this year, but the Bulls clearly appreciate his defensive skills.