“I will continue playing if I am cleared to”: Zach LaVine reiterates his eagerness to play after the Chicago Bulls beat the final undefeated team in the league

Zach LaVine and Co have been on a tear this season, with the Bulls having a 5-1 record currently. The newly revamped roster didn’t take too long to play as one unit.

The Chicago Bulls may not be undefeated anymore, but they have been playing at an elite level so far. Much of it is due to Zach LaVine’s brilliance on court, but it may all well slow down because he revealed he suffered a small ligament tear while playing against the Toronto Raptors.

Fortunately, the tear is on his left hand- His non-shooting hand. This will not affect his on-the-ball performance much, but his defensive abilities might slightly dip. Billy Donovan is concerned about his star player getting hurt so early into the season, knowing he is the focal point of this offense. But unlike the previous seasons, the Bulls have a deep roster to support him.

LaVine being the warrior that he is, fully intends to play, with a wrap-around his thumb. As long as he is medically cleared to play, he will. LaVine played through injury to beat the last undefeated team in the league, the Utah Jazz 107-99. He combined very well with DeMar putting up 26 points, while DeRozan had 32.

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Zach is essential to the Chicago Bulls, but he can take time off

Risking further serious injury so early into the season is always unadvisable – Zach knows how important this season is to himself and the Bulls. They finally completed the rebuild process that started four years ago with him. DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vucevic can more than handle the load if needed.

As of the last match, his offensive output was almost at the same level he was producing prior to the injury, Coach Billy Donovan was concerned that Zach wasn’t himself. It could be that he is pushing himself through pain. Although surgery may not be necessary at this stage, any aggravation and that might not be the case anymore.

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Zach should be fine, provided he rests himself and knows when to take time off. The season is long, and their aspirations are high. The Bulls need him to be fit, and he needs to be fit for the Bulls to make a deep run into the playoffs.