Things have not been going particularly great for the Chicago Bulls this season, but if there has been a consistent bright spot on the team, it’s been the wonderful play of Zach LaVine, who has blossomed into an All-Star. Unfortunately for the Bulls, they’ll now have to navigate the next couple of games without his services.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, LaVine has to enter the NBA’s health and safety protocol, meaning he’s going to be on the sideline for an indefinite amount of time. The news was confirmed shortly after by KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
Chicago Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine is expected to miss several games after entering into the league's health and safety protocol, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2021
Can confirm that Zach LaVine has entered the league's health and safety protocol, which @wojespn had 1st.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 15, 2021
LaVine is averaging career-best marks across the board as the focal point of the Bulls’ offense. He’s averaging 27.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 0.8 steals in 35.2 minutes per game, and whenever Chicago is in a close game, LaVine has the ball in his hands and is asked to make something happen.
The timing of this could not be any worse for Chicago. The team has lost four games in a row after going all-in at the trade deadline to make a push for the postseason by acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic. The team currently sits 22-32, which puts them in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and one game ahead of both the 11-seed Toronto Raptors and 12-seed Washington Wizards.
