Chicago ? Kirk Hinrich’s injury-plagued 2012-13 season didn’t end when the Bulls bowed out of the playoffs.
“I found out the day after we lost to Miami that I had pneumonia,” Hinrich said over the weekend.
One month and 10 lost pounds later, Hinrich began to work himself back into shape, a condition he hopes to keep after missing 22 regular-season games to four separate injuries and the final eight playoff games to a ruptured left calf.
Hinrich’s projected role — backing up Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler at guard — could aid in his quest to have a healthier 2013-14.
“I’m excited,” said Hinrich, a former Kansas University standout. “I’ve come off the bench before and enjoyed it. I feel I can come in and bring energy. That will be a good role for me.
“Most of the injuries last year were just bad luck, so I try not to put too much stock into it. But early in last year’s preseason, I had a lot of my small muscle groups hurting. So I’m just trying to do a lot more flexibility and functional stuff in the weight and training rooms before and after practice to prevent that.”
Indeed, one of Hinrich’s regular-season injuries was freakish — a burst bursa sac in his right elbow that became infected. And who can forget Hinrich’s final game, when he tied a franchise record by playing 59 minutes, 36 seconds in the triple-overtime victory over the Nets in Game 4?
Hinrich posted 18 points, 14 assists, four rebounds and three steals while relentlessly hounding Deron Williams despite suffering what became a season-ending injury in the first half.
“Looking back, I was just glad we were able to win,” he said. “The whole second half, I was hurting pretty bad.”
Hinrich theorizes his weakened condition that led to pneumonia contributed to him not being able to overcome the calf injury. Whatever the case, there’s no denying Hinrich’s impact when he remained healthy enough to play.
