One of the most detrimental absences that first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls faced all season long is something that they’re dealing with right now. Star 26-year-old shooting guard Zach LaVine has missed the last six games for the Bulls due to a violation of the league’s health and safety protocol.
This has now left the Bulls without one of their most important players at one of the most critical points of the regular season schedule. The Bulls now hold a record of 25-35 following a tough five-point loss on the road at American Airlines Arena to former star shooting guard/small forward Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on April 24.
But the Bulls do look like they very much need LaVine back in the starting five to get moving back in the right direction on a permanent basis. If the Bulls are really able to get some momentum behind the star duo of former Orlando Magic two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic and LaVine in the near future, then this team will reach a whole new level of success.
According to a report from K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago on April 24, the Bulls are going to be without LaVine again in their meeting on the road with the Heat on April 26. It likely won’t be at least until the April 30 matchup at home at the United Center with the divisional foe Milwaukee Bucks that the Bulls could LaVine back in the mix.
Here's more from Billy Donovan on Zach LaVine, who will have missed 8 games by the time the Bulls return from this 3-game trip: https://t.co/2tbWKslVzZ
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 24, 2021
More specifics on the Chicago Bulls’ star Zach LaVine
The Bulls are likely to see LaVine have to miss 10-14 days total in mandatory quarantine. The first game he missed was back on April 16, in what would eventually amount to a loss to standout point guard Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
If LaVine does miss that full 14 days for the Bulls, then he could be set to return next weekend. That might not even put him back in the Bulls rotation until after their April 30 meeting with the Bucks at home.
For the time being, the Bulls are running with veteran shooting guard Garrett Temple in LaVine’s place in the starting five. And that hasn’t worked out so well in the last few games. Temple is averaging less than six points per game in a starting role in place of LaVine this month, along with an offensive rating south of 95 and a defensive rating north of 115.
Donovan and the Bulls currently sit 1.5 games behind the red hot Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference standings. If they remain in 11th place in the standings in the East, behind the likes of the Wizards and Indiana Pacers, then the Bulls will wind up missing out on the NBA’s play-in tournament next month.