Chicago signed one-time Bull Kirk Hinrich to fill the temporary void left at the lead guard spot after franchise player Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL in the first round of the 2012 playoffs.
When Hinrich left Saturday’s win over Minnesota with a hip injury, ninth-year sparkplug Nate Robinson finished out the contest for coach Tom Thibodeau at the 1. Robinson played a season-high 31 minutes and scored a season-high 18 points.
Rose is not expected to return until April or May of 2013, and Hinrich is currently listed as day-to-day. With enough floor time, Robinson is capable of making a significant fantasy impact.
The 21st overall pick in the 2005 draft and 3X NBA Slam Dunk Champion has career highs of 45 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists. The ultra-athletic Seattle native scores, rebounds, passes, hits threes and gets steals.
So far in six games Robinson is averaging 11.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1 spg, and he’s shooting almost 50% from the floor. Robinson has season highs of 18 points, 12 dimes, 5 boards (3X) and 3 steals.
The Bulls have enough talent to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference while they wait for their star’s return. With a tremendous head coach and a talented, stable, veteran core, a player like Robinson can slide into the rotation, whether in the first 5 or as the backup PG, and accumulate healthy, nightly numbers for a fantasy roster.
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