Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich likely to play vs. Grizzlies

Held out of action in each of the last two games, Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich is expected to play on Monday evening against Memphis according to a report by Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.

The 31-year-old Hinrich leads the Bulls with 5.5 assists per game this season, but sat out a pair of games last week after developing a bruised left knee that continued to swell and cause discomfort. After a full practice on Sunday in preparation for Monday's showdown between two of the NBA's best squads though, Hinrich is entirely hopeful that he can be in action to open the week.

"I'm feeling better," Hinrich said. "I made some good progress, just continue to treat it and hopefully get ready to go. The way I went today, I plan on [playing]."

Though he remains a minor scoring option in head coach Tom Thibodeau's offense, the veteran Hinrich is having a huge season as Chicago's main distributor. Without the services of star point guard Derrick Rose to take pressure off, Hinrich's turnover rate has remained quite consistent despite being forced to initiate more of the offense. The Grizzlies feature a number of lightning-quick guards off the dribble, and Hinrich's sound decision-making would be a serious asset in such a pivotal early-season game.