Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has been a crucial piece in the team’s rise to the top of the Eastern Conference. There’s no denying the Bulls wouldn’t be this good without him.
There is one problem, though. Throughout his NBA career, he has dealt with injuries, the most recent being soreness in his left knee. Durability has been an issue for him. He hasn’t played in more than 63 games in a single season since 2015-2016.
While knee soreness doesn’t typically hamper a player’s season, LaVine tore is ACL in the same knee with Timberwolves. During the All-Star break, LaVine went to Los Angeles to have fluid drained from his left knee and also received a cortisone shot.
"“I just wanted to go out to LA and make sure everything was good,” LaVine said in an interview after All-Star Weekend. “I‘ve been obviously battling the knee soreness for a little bit and not playing at 100% but you know, I just want to continue to go out there and try to help us win.”"
While LaVine has played since getting the cortisone shot, he revealed in a recent press conference that he’s still feeling discomfort.
#Bulls star Zach LaVine admitted he's playing with "some pain" in his left knee but also added this:
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) March 15, 2022
"I feel good right now. Obviously, I’m going to try to do everything I can to play these games and also be careful and understand the long haul."
Zach LaVine’s knee issue sounds like it’ll be a problem for the Bulls.
His comments weren’t needed to see that there is still a problem with his knee. In their games since the All-Star Break, he hasn’t had the same explosion at the rim. It doesn’t help that the Bulls had a stretch where they played four elite teams in a row and an Atlanta Hawks team with plenty of athleticism to throw at LaVine on both ends.
In that particular stretch, the Bulls went 0-5. Teams blitzed LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on drives. LaVine wasn’t able to blow by the larger defender on those traps, resulting in turnovers and poor shot selection.
It’s painful to watch Zach LaVine getting so little lift on his drives to the basket. He’s gutting it out, but nowhere near the explosive offensive force we’ve come to expect.
— Mark Schanowski (@MarkSchanowski) March 15, 2022
LaVine carried the momentum from his individual success last season into this year, building a version of a “Big 3” in Chicago with DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. He‘s averaging 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists this year and the Bulls are currently fourth in the east.
But how much longer is his knee pain going to last? And is it going to hold the Bulls back from reaching their full potential? If he’s not 100% healthy for the playoffs, it’s going to be a massive uphill climb for Chicago.