While there’s still no specific target date for Zach LaVine‘s debut with the Bulls, he appears likely to return from his ACL injury in January rather than December, according to dispatches from K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune and Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Speaking today to reporters, including Johnson and Cowley, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said that LaVine is still practicing every other day — that schedule figures to remain in place for another week or two. After that, the fourth-year guard will need to show that he’s capable of handling an everyday practice schedule before the Bulls are ready to have him appear in a game.
“The big thing is he needs to string together a good 10 days of practice to where he’s not going every other day,” Hoiberg said of LaVine. “I would say the next 10 days is not going to happen. He’s still going to be on the every other day program at least for another 10 days to two weeks, and then we’ll take it from there as far as getting him consecutive-day workouts, and then get him back shortly after that.”
There should be no rush for the Bulls to get LaVine back into their lineup, despite the fact that he was one of the key pieces acquired in June’s Jimmy Butler blockbuster. The club currently holds the NBA’s worst record, at 3-19, and is a much stronger contender for the No. 1 overall pick than for a playoff spot. LaVine will be a restricted free agent in 2018, at which point the Bulls are expected to lock him up to a long-term deal, so it’s more important that he’s healthy and productive in future seasons.
Once LaVine is ready to make his Bulls debut, he’ll likely start off by playing about 12 to 18 minutes per night, Hoiberg said today.