Bulls coach Tim Floyd says the best way for the team to recover emotionally from the loss of forward Eddie Robinson to a fractured big left toe is to have spirited practices.

But the intensity level Sunday at the Berto Center seemed subdued, if for no other reason than the number of available healthy bodies keeps dwindling.

Trainer Fred Tedeschi said a bone scan scheduled for Monday would determine the course of action for Robinson. But X-rays and a magnetic-resonance-imaging test have confirmed a fracture, and surgery and a six- to eight-week rehabilitation period are likely.

The simple reality is this: With the season opener only two days away, the Bulls are without a true small forward, having already lost Ron Artest until at least mid-December after surgery on his right ring finger.

"And Eddie arguably was our best player in the preseason," said guard Fred Hoiberg, whose minutes will increase if the tendinitis he's battling in his right knee allows it.

"To lose a guy that brings that kind of scoring and that kind of athleticism every night is very tough.