A tough start for the Chicago Bulls won't get any easier on paper as they head for Philadelphia and New York to face the 76ers and Knicks this week. But help could be on the way, as injured big man Nic Claxton took a crucial step toward making his season debut.

Claxton, who has been nursing a left hamstring injury that occurred during preseason training camp in early October, returned to practice as a full participant on Sunday afternoon, head coach Tiago Splitter said.

Claxton came billed as one of new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham's big offseason additions. Coming over from the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team trade centered around Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the hope was that the 6-foot-11 Claxton would provide a consistent presence down low as a rim protector and interior scoring threat.

But the nagging hamstring has delayed his debut in Chicago. Originally reported as a two-week absence by Splitter on October 5th, the Bulls have still yet to see the 27-year-old center hit the floor.

After logging the full practice on Sunday, it seemed possible that Claxton could be available for Monday night's game in Philadelphia. However, Monday morning's NBA injury report has him listed as "Doubtful", pouring some cold water on the hope of his return.

Fellow bigs Jalen Smith (left finger sprain) and Tobe Awaka (left ankle sprain) also appear on the injury report as "Probable" for the 6:30 PM CT tip-off. The Bulls have leaned on Smith, who has been impressive as a starter in a frontcourt pairing with rookie Caleb Wilson in each of their first six games sans Claxton.

Claxton's defensive impact has not been nearly as prominent over the past couple of seasons since his Defensive Player of the Year bid during the 2022-23 campaign. His offensive production has seen a similar dip from that season when he led the NBA in field goal percentage (.705) to just .571 a year ago in Brooklyn.

Still, Claxton will provide a massive boost to a Bulls defensive unit that has struggled to protect the paint, ranking 24th in opponent points in the paint with 52.3 and ranking 28th in overall defensive rating with 121.6.

Chicago will have their hands full on Monday night with or without Claxton, as the 6-1, first-place 76ers will look to find more offensive consistency to pair with their top three defensive rating (104.9) and league-best turnover ratio (12.7). If he can't go, further updates on Claxton's status will likely come via practice participation on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's game at the Knicks.