As the 2022-23 season wraps up, the Chicago Bulls join most other Eastern Conference teams in knowing exactly where they’ll be seeded in the upcoming playoffs and play-in tournament. Unlike the wild West, the East has been a rather predictable affair this time around. As such, this means the Bulls have the luxury of resting their star players instead of fighting tooth and nail until the very end.
Although Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have only missed a combined 11 games this season, their status tonight is still up in the air. Strategically resting both star players could be the Bulls’ best move here, but nothing has been decided as of yet.
The implications of this game against the Mavericks tonight are heavy for both squads, as Dallas is desperately trying to claw their way back into the playoffs, while the Bulls can maintain a solid lottery position while also qualifying for the play-in tournament.
Will Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan play in tonight’s big game between the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks?
As of this moment, no official decision has been made regarding the status of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan’s availability in tonight’s contest. With nothing left to gain, the Bulls run the risk of injury and fatigue if they play their starters heavy minutes, so I’m not too optimistic about their chances of suiting up tonight.
While this may be an unfortunate development for ticket holders to tonight’s game, it’s probably the wise decision. If the Bulls can’t move up in the standings, winning meaningless games only serves to knock Chicago out of their top-10 position in the draft lottery if they fail to qualify for the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
“My feeling would be that Zach, DeMar, Vooch, those guys who have logged a lot of minutes, would sit down with medical to determine the game against Dallas,” Donovan elaborated on the decision. “The players will have a say-so in that.”
The Chicago Bulls say that Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are both questionable for tomorrow night's game. The reason for both players being questionable is "rest."
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) April 6, 2023
UPDATE: Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Patrick Beverley have been listed as OUT for tonight’s matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.
Chicago Bulls’ full updated injury report vs. Dallas Mavericks on April 7
Outside of LaVine and DeRozan being listed as questionable, Alex Caruso joins the two stars with a game-time decision. Despite being pointed out as a potential candidate to rest tonight’s game, Nikola Vucevic is not on the injury report as of right now and should be expected to play tonight barring a change of events. Considering this is a road game, I can’t say I’m surprised the Bulls are being particularly cautious before finishing the season out at home against the Pistons on Sunday.
Rounding out Chicago’s injury report are Lonzo Ball and two-way prospect Justin Lewis, each of whom is of course listed out due to undergoing season-ending surgeries.
Will Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic suit up tonight for the Dallas Mavericks?
Prior to tonight’s game, there was much speculation that Dallas would sit out both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season, opting to turn their focus toward their future. Just a few days ago, it appeared very unlikely that the Mavericks would be able to climb out of the 11th-seeded hole. However, a three-game losing streak by Oklahoma City has suddenly brought things into question approaching their final regular season game.
Should Dallas defeat Chicago tonight, they’d tie OKC at a record of 39-42. They do not own the tiebreaker, however, so they’d be counting on the Thunder losing their final game against the Grizzlies. For this reason, I fully expect the Mavericks to play their usual starting unit tonight against the Bulls in a last-ditch attempt to qualify for the postseason.
UPDATE: Per Dallas’ public relations team on Twitter, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood will all be OUT for tonight’s game. This comes as a shocking turn of events, and could indicate the Mavericks aren’t holding out much hope for what’s left of this season.
Luka Dončić (left thigh injury recovery) and JaVale McGee (right ankle sprain) remain probable for tonight’s game against the Bulls.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) April 7, 2023
Chicago Bulls’ upcoming games and remaining schedule
- Detroit Pistons @ Chicago Bulls (April 9)
- Chicago Bulls @ Toronto Raptors (April 12)
- Play-In Tournament Game 1
- Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat/Atlanta Hawks (April 14)
- Play-In Tournament Game 2, only if Bulls win Game 1
- NBA Playoffs begin (April 15)