The Chicago Bulls have had a tough start to their three-game Western Conference road trip. After going down to the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, Billy Donovan’s boys will travel to Oregon, to go up against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. With hopes of avoiding a three-game losing streak, fans will expect Zach LaVine to suit up for the contest.
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LaVine has been the biggest star in discussions before the NBA’s trade deadline. Despite all the uncertainties surrounding his trade rumors, the Bulls have also had to deal with the fact that the 28-year-old has had an injury-riddled campaign, causing him to miss the entirety of December.
The former UCLA Bruin did return on the 5th of January. In his seventh game back against the Toronto Raptors, LaVine rolled his ankle in the third quarter. The two-time All-Star did return in the final period but checked out for good after just two minutes. According to the Bulls’ 28th January Injury Report, LaVine will not play at Moda Center tonight against Portland.
Initially, reports revealed that the star would be missing out on at least one week with his right ankle sprain. However, ahead of the 25th January game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Billy Donovan revealed that their high-flying guard would be out for at least another week. With that being said, fans won’t be pleased to learn that Zach LaVine will be sidelined tonight.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says Zach LaVine (ankle) is likely to miss at least another week.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 26, 2024
The Bulls star’s inconsistency due to injuries have been a constant issue for the team. His unavailability in these games not only hurts the Bulls’ season record(they are ninth in the East with 21-25) but also diminishes LaVine’s value before the trade deadline.
The Chicago Bulls have been 11-10 without Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine has had a subpar campaign. Before his injury, the All-Star was averaging about 22.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. However, since returning in January, LaVine has witnessed a massive dip in his production. In 33.7 minutes per game, he’s averaged merely 15.6 points per game.
As shocking as it may sound, the Bulls are a much better squad with LaVine sidelined. He has missed 21 games this 2023-2024 season. In this span, DeMar DeRozan and co. have managed to hold their ground, clinching 11 wins. However, in the 25 games that the shooting guard has suited up, the Illinois side has been the losing team on 15 occasions.
Going up against the Portland Trail Blazers should be easy for the Bulls to snap their losing streak, considering Chauncey Billups’ team is injury-riddled. While the likes of Moses Brown, Shaedon Sharpe, and Robert Williams III will be out, Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Jabari Walker are listed as “questionable” in the latest report.
If the Bulls end up winning, they’ll improve to a 22-25 record. However, a loss can have a harmful impact as the #10 Brooklyn Nets sit only 2.5 games behind them on the Eastern Conference standings.
