After getting off to an up-and-down start this fall and resting his surgically repaired knee multiple times in the first month of the season, Bulls guard Zach LaVine hasn’t missed a game since November 6 and appears to be hitting his stride. LaVine scored a season-high 43 points in Friday’s win over Detroit, emphatically showing that he’s in midseason form, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“Go look at my last 10, 15 games,” LaVine said after the game. “I been feeling good.”
In his last 13 games, LaVine has averaged 25.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 35.8 minutes per night, with a scorching hot shooting line of .536/.432/.830.
One of the most encouraging signs, Collier writes, has been LaVine’s soaring field goal percentage around the rim — he has shot 79.5% in the restricted area in December, a major step up from his 58.8% mark in October and November.
“I give him a lot of credit of just sticking with the process and just continuing to work,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “I think when you’re as elite as he is offensively and you start the year off the way he did offensively and just trying to find himself. He put a lot of work into it just to stay the course.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Should LaVine’s best stretch of the season restore faith in this Bulls core? That remains to be seen, but his “noticeably improved health” is the best reason for optimism that the club is better than it showed in the early part of this season, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.
- Donovan provided an update on Lonzo Ball‘s recovery from left knee surgery on Friday, telling reporters that the point guard has been doing some light jogging, shooting, and a “little bit” of jumping while shooting, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “(Since) we last talked, it is progressing, it’s just really slow,” Donovan said. “But there has definitely been some improvements and he’s actually doing more physically than the last time we spoke.” As Schaefer observes, there are still several major hurdles for Ball to clear in the rehab process, including sprinting, cutting, and taking contact without pain.
- The most frustrating part of the Bulls’ season to date has been their inexplicable losses to some of the NBA’s worst teams despite impressive wins against several contenders, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago has a 5-8 record against sub-.500 opponents, including losses to Orlando, Houston, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio, but has gone 5-1 against Boston, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee, the East’s top three seeds.
Report is that Lonzo Ball can’t currently walk up stairs without assisting his knee. I am assuming based on this rumor if its accurate that Ball doesn’t see an NBA court this season, if he can’t do normal everyday activities without adversity. Not sure why they keep this stuff in the dark, I hope its out of respect for private medical information, but its probably money, or liability motivated.
This Bulls team isn’t going anywhere fast. If you can find a taker for LaVine and his terrible contract move him. Vucevic is a soon to be free agent. DeRozan deserves to play for a contender. Lonzo is wasted money. The role players can’t stay healthy. What a mess.
Zach’s contract is not terrible, do you realize what Richaun Holmes is paid to be out of the rotation, or Johnathan Isaac is paid to miss 3 years recovering from an injury players got in January 2022 and played for the bucks the last few nights….a tv contract comes soon making it even less of a problem, demar came here to play with Zach, every star in the league talks about Zach, being mad because the bulls have the completely wrong center for the wings of demar and Zach does not make his contract bad…..smh man fans just do not see the big picture ever, Zach Pat and Dalen and Ayo are who this team have as untouchable, every single other player should be on the block
Lonzo has Brandon Roy written all over him.
Lonzo ball has I got paid so don’t need to rush back vibes written all over him
So far this season. I’d say Hawks and Bulls are underperforming. Of course injuries don’t help.
With Vucevic becoming a FA. I wonder if Bulls would retool. Get younger, move Vucevic and DeRozan. They can get good players back. Build around Zach, Williams, Ayo, Ball.
The problem is the defense. This team gives up way to many points for Lavine’s statline to matter.
The Bulls overachieved last season when healthy…
The writing was on the wall that they didn’t build a contender… Hell not even a middle of the playoff picture team…
Outside of LaVine none of the big name players are modern stars… Vucevic is a good offensive centre but tops out as a role player who can be played off 9f the floor because of his defence… DeMar had a career year, but his defence has never been enough for his counting stats to make huge differences…
There are a few defense first guards, but they are injury prone and cannot make up for Vucevic’s weaknesses…
The Bulls need to sell off what they can and either rebuild around LaVine properly or start from scratch…
A healthy Lonzo ain’t going to save this team…