There was good news that finally came the way of second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls earlier this week when the NBA announced that their first two games of the week would be postponed. The Bulls were supposed to face the Detroit Pistons at home at the United Center on Dec. 14. And then, they were set to take on the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 16.
But both games were pushed back amidst a plethora of Bulls players entering the league’s health and safety protocol in the prior 10 days. The Bulls got to a double-digit number of absences due to COVID-19 cases, putting more than half of their rotation in the health and safety protocol.
By the beginning of this week, the Bulls had the likes of star shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan, shooting guard Zach LaVine, point guard Coby White, shooting guard/forward Javonte Green, and forward Derrick Jones Jr., among many others, all in the health and safety protocol. It does look like the Bulls are going to get back some players that entered the health and safety protocol more than five days ago back for their next game.
That could include the likes of DeRozan, White, and Green, among a couple of other key players.
But it does hurt that the Bulls will be namely without LaVine for a few more games after they return to action after this set of postponements this week.
Chicago Bulls still reportedly set to have Zach LaVine out at least until the Christmas break
Donovan said Zach LaVine and other recent protocol adds likely won’t return until after Xmas. #Bulls
— Mike McGraw (@McGrawDHSports) December 16, 2021
Donovan reportedly mentioned this week that the Bulls won’t be getting LaVine, and “other recent protocol adds”, back in the rotation until after Christmas. Since the Bulls have a busy schedule after this set of postponements is up this coming weekend, that still definitely hurts this team.
The Bulls will face the Los Angeles Lakers at home at the United Center on Dec. 19 upon their return to game action in the front end of back-to-back games. And then, the Bulls are set to take on the Houston Rockets at home on Dec. 20 in the back end of these back-to-back games.
It is only two days after the Bulls’ back-to-back against the Lakers and Rockets coming out of the weekend that they are back in game action. The Bulls do face the Raptors on the road on Dec. 22. But that is the last game for the Bulls until after the Christmas break on Dec. 26.
There still looks to be a possibility that the Bulls get LaVine and a few other recent players that entered the health and safety protocol for their Dec. 26 meeting with the division foe Indiana Pacers.
LaVine hadn’t missed any games for the Bulls prior to the postponements due to the health and safety protocol. But it looks like he will now be out for at least the next three games for this continually shorthanded Bulls team in the month of December.