Tom Thibodeau May Sit Struggling Chicago Bulls Guard C.J. Watson in Practice

Over the past few weeks, the Chicago Bulls have seen a level of inconsistency at the point guard position that they're quite unfamiliar with. A consistent contributor has been hindered by injuries, plagued by inconsistency in availability and even seen a decline in production because of this.

This time I'm not talking to you, Derrick Rose.

Reserve guard and three-point specialist C.J. Watson has shot just 27.3 percent from the field over the past five games, paired with an average of three turnovers and three fouls per contest. He's also shooting 35.7 percent from distance, down from his mark of 41 percent for the season.

At the root of these struggles has been a series of injuries. Most recently, Watson has been playing on a sprained ankle, unwilling to take time off as the Bulls play without Derrick Rose. While admirable, it's become evident in his quality of play that fighting through the pain may not be the best idea.

According to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, head coach Tom Thibodeau seems to have realized such a truth.

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"This time of year, you have to strike that balance of rest and playing," Thibodeau said. "We also want him to be in rhythm down the road. The way the schedule is this month for us, if we need to sit him out of practices, we'll do that. Give him an opportunity to rest there."

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With the roster relatively thin at the point with Rose already sidelined, it's hard to imagine the Bulls giving Watson much rest until all is normal in Chicago. With the Bulls' recent signing of Mike James for the remainder of the season, however, a period of time off may not be out of the question, after all.