Bulls Refuse to Thin Out Backcourt, So the Basketball Gods Handle It

When Larry Hughes went down in the preseason, that was just science. (Hughes + Basketball = Wincing pain.) But Kirk Hinrich hits Men's Warehouse today as a result of an injury to his thumb (three months out expected) ... that's a result of spiritual justice. No, Hinrich has done nothing wrong. He's simply an innocent bystander as the scales of basketball righteousness attempt to fix the league.

You see, Hinrich should have been traded months ago. With Derrick Rose in place and elite scorer Ben Gordon hanging on the fringes, Hinrich was a superfluous road block. Half the league needs a point guard, overpaid or not. Shame on John Paxson for refusing to get his roster in any sort of order for a potenially overmatched rookie coach, Vinny Del Negro.

Now, Hinrich will just be re-entering the lineup as the trade deadline approaches. Any delay in recovery could keep Captain Kirk in street clothes until after the deadline. Gordon started alongside Rose last night, which marked the first time all season Del Negro didn't put himself at an avoidable disadvantage from the tip. So, the guard mess looks to be cleaned up. But it hasn't -- it's been delayed to February at best, July at worst. And not a thing has been learned. Well done, Chicago.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.