That didn’t take long.
In less than 24 hours, Bulls guard Tre Jones went from having that “it factor” to “Oh, shoot factor,” as the team announced on Friday that Jones suffered a left hamstring strain in the 120-115 win over Minnesota.
A win in which Jones scored 12 points but had several key baskets in fourth-quarter crunch time and also finished with seven assists, as well as having possessions where he was assigned to guard Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards.
“He just finds ways to make plays and make things happen,” coach Billy Donovan said of Jones’ latest performance. “Listen, he had a lot of responsibility on both ends of the floor. He certainly had a huge responsibility trying to guard Edwards. He defended him as best he could in space. He did a lot of things to impact winning (Thursday).”
That’s why Donovan has often used the term “it factor” with Jones, who was acquired last February in the Zach LaVine three-team trade. The Bulls then showed exactly how much they valued the reserve, inking him to a three-year, $24-million extension last summer.
He had been dealing with an ankle injury off and on this season, so this latest setback is another blow considering Jones will miss at least two weeks before he’s re-evaluated.
That hurts the Bulls on the court but also off of it with Jones the subject of trade rumors, specifically linked to a possible deal with Minnesota.
