Chicago Bulls Forward Bobby Portis Ready to Return After Serving Eight-Game Suspension for Punching Teammate Nikola Mirotić

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis is ready to return to the court after serving an eight-game suspension for punching teammate Nikola Mirotić during an altercation in practice before the start of the season.

The Bulls have confirmed that Portis has been practicing with the team and he will be eligible to play against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

"He's worked extremely hard," Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said, via the team's official website. "Bobby's been getting a lot of extra work in before and after practice; we'll give him a lot of reps (Monday). He's a competitive kid and I know he's excited to get back," he added.

Portis' teammates are glad to welcome him back, but right now, it is not clear how he will fit into the rotation.

"We've been playing with such great energy and Bobby is the epitome of that," veteran center Robin Lopez said.

"I think he's handled it as well as he could have. I don't know exactly what's going to happen with the rotations going forward, but I know he's mentally prepared for that; and we're excited to have him back," he continued.

Lauri Markkanen has been getting the start while Portis and Mirotić were unavailable, and Hoiberg has indicated that the rookie would continue to start at power forward. That means Portis will have to play behind Markkanen and he will likely see some minutes at center as well.

However, the situation will likely get complicated once Mirotić is cleared to return to the court.

Portis has already publicly apologized for his actions, and he said he also reached out to Mirotić. However, the Montenegrin–Spanish forward hasn't responded to his calls or texts.

Well, Mirotić did sustain a concussion along with multiple facial fractures as a result of the punch, so he's not exactly in a forgiving mood. He has also made it clear that he's no longer interested in playing with Portis, so the Bulls will have to sort that out soon.