“When we get healthy I don’t see anyone better than us in the East”: Zach Lavine has a bold statement for his injury-ravaged Chicago Bulls heading into the All Star Game

Zach Lavine and the Chicago Bulls have definitely had a successful season thus far, however, injuries have kept them from having a better one.

The Bulls made a series of moves this offseason to improve their team, and it has worked tremendously. DeMar DeRozan has hovered around the MVP conversation all year long, complementing All Star Zach Lavine perfectly.

The Bulls held the #1 seed for a long time early on, but now, as injuries have piled up they’ve found themselves losing more games than they like. In fact, this Bulls team hasn’t been fully healthy since the start of the season after they lost second-year defensive stalwart Patrick Williams.

Recently a host of other Bulls players are out and the timeline to return is a little unclear, but Chicago is hopeful they’ll have everyone back for a deep playoff run.

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Zach Lavine believes the Bulls should be the #1 seed in the East

Throughout the season, the Bulls have lived with a ‘whos’s next?’ mentality as injuries have really torn this team apart. At some point in the season all of their top players have been injured. Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso have missed significant time.

For the most part, the Bulls have weathered the storm. They are currently still the #2 seed in the East at 34-21, trailing the Miami Heat by 1.5 games. However, their once unassailable lead has disappeared.

Currently, Lonzo Ball (knee), Derrick Jones Jr. (finger), Alex Caruso (wrist) are all out with injuries with returns in about 5-7 weeks.

Patrick Williams’ status is still unclear but he may just have a chance at returning before the season ends. Back in January the Bulls were 26-10 on Jan 7th, first place in the East and were feeding off the energy of two straight game winners by DeRezoan and a 9-game win streak.

DJJ was hurt on Jan 12th, Lonzo was sidelined on Jan 15th, and Caruso was injured on Jan 23rd. Since then the Bulls are just 8-11, feeling the effects of a thin roster. Lavine still believes in the potential of this Bulls team, however. He knows what they can do when they’re healthy, believing the Bulls are the best of the East when healthy.

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