It’s “highly unlikely” Lauri Markkanen will play again before the All-Star break, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. Meeting with reporters before tonight’s game, Bulls coach Billy Donovan provided an update on Markkanen, who has missed the last nine contests with a sprained right shoulder.
“He makes progress, but he has not done anything contact-wise, he’s done nothing that at this point in time would show us that he’s going to be back within the next week,” Donovan said. “Could it happen? Sure. Do I feel like it’s likely it’s going to happen? Probably not.”
Markkanen’s original prognosis was two to four weeks, and Johnson notes that the full four weeks will take him to March 8, three days before the Bulls start the second half of their season. Markkanen has played in 14 of Chicago’s first 30 games and is averaging a career-high 19.1 PPG.
“The biggest challenge I think for Lauri right now is because of the injury, if he reinjures it or hurts it again relatively quickly on his return, it’s going to almost put him back to ground zero again,” Donovan said. “So he’s working with the medical staff and he’s doing what he can physically to keep himself in condition.”
- Zach LaVine has higher goals now that he has been named an All-Star for the first time, notes Sam Smith of NBA.com. “You want to be MVP of a championship team,” he said Tuesday after learning that he had been selected as a reserve. “Obviously, if we continue to play the right way and I’m playing at a high level, I can see myself as All-NBA team. If I continue to up my defense and being consistent, I can see myself as an All-Defensive team guy.”
- Second-year swingman Adam Mokoka, who is on a two-way contract, has been transferred to the G League and will join the Austin Spurs, the Bulls announced (via Twitter). He has seen limited playing time in seven games this season.
LaVine is talking about the being on the real NBA’s all defensive team not NBA 2K, right? He’s funny.
He has improved. Yeah, he still has a ways to go…but he is balling out this year and working to improve. Hard to fault a guy for having that mindset.
Definitely gotten better now. He has big time confidence in his O. He’s becoming a killer scorer this yr. Good sign to want to be all D team. I’d love to have him on my team.
LaVine is $160 million guy
Trade him if Bulls don’t want to pay
Silly Van, they will pay.
Delusional Knockerbocker fan probably
Since Temple moved into the starting lineup, the Bulls have been a lot better. Their bench unit with Satoransky, Thaddeus Young, Valentine, and Kornet has been very good, and provides some matchup problems for some teams. That bench has arguably been carrying them
You lost me at Kornet contributing in anyway??
He spaces the floor in that unit. Was +10 tonight. Hasnt been used that much, but those are still contributions. Not saying he is a regular rotation guy, but he has been useful in certain matchups,around the rest of those guys I mentioned. Obviously, that’s a spot that would be used different otherwise. I’m just saying even though he hasnt knocked down many shots, he hasnt killed them, and has been at least useful in those units
They have an outside shot at being .500 at the break. That is remarkable considering how they started. Donovan is a rotation genius. I pretty much do not want Markannen to come back and mess up their chemistry now.
The irony here is if Minnesota had kept LaVine they’d actually look pretty good. KAT and LaVine with D’Angelo as a 3rd option.
Laurie Markkanen is injury prone. We get high draft picks and pick injury prone players. Get rid of him.