Zach LaVine was encouraged by his visit to a knee specialist, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters that LaVine’s appointment went “very well” and some “swelling was taken out of his knee.” The doctor gave him a lubricant to put on his sore left knee and cleared him for activity within 48 hours.
LaVine will be able to attend All-Star Weekend, Johnson adds, although no determination has been made on whether he will play in the game or participate in the three-point contest. The team’s medical staff will meet with LaVine to determine whether he will be on a minutes limit when he returns after the break.
“The doctors feel totally fine about him resuming playing,” Donovan said (Twitter link).
There’s more from Chicago:
- Donovan also offered an update on injured guard Alex Caruso, who is expected to begin dribbling and shooting in seven to 10 days, Johnson adds (via Twitter). Caruso had wrist surgery on January 24 and was projected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
- In an interview with Tyler R. Tines of GQ Magazine, DeMar DeRozan talks about being overwhelmed with sadness when he was traded in 2018 after nine years in Toronto. The deal was ultimately beneficial for DeRozan, who learned to refine his game during three years with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Former USC teammate Nikola Vucevic approached him during a game last season and urged him to come to the Bulls in free agency, and DeRozan said it was an easy decision after his summer meeting with general manager Marc Eversley. “He knew everything about me basketball-wise,” DeRozan said. “He understood how I could fit in and they wanted to allow me to be myself.”
- Ayo Dosunmu‘s college coach isn’t surprised to see him make an impact in the NBA so quickly, per Steve Greenberg of The Chicago Sun-Times. Dosunmu wasn’t selected until the 38th pick in last year’s draft, but he has become part of the Bulls’ rotation and earned a spot in the Rising Stars Challenge. “It’s hard to describe Ayo,” said Illinois coach Brad Underwood, “because I just say ‘winner’ and there’s nothing that gets in the way of that. But I also felt like he would be better suited to the NBA game because the paint opens up, his speed becomes more of a factor, his passing in space becomes easier. And I think he’s really, really effective because he’s got two, maybe three superstar-type guys around him, and that elevates his game. And he guards. And he’s tougher than hell.”
Happy for Demar. After getting traded from his home for a piece that won the Raps a chip, being able to go somewhere that he can shine and doing it through all of the BS people were saying last summer is awesome. Especially while being a fringe MVP candidate. Good stuff.
If the Bulls get everybody back a few weeks before the playoffs, watch out! Their bench strength will shine since everyone has had significant minutes due to the injuries and there are a lot of successful combinations that have been revealed. Ayo is working very smoothly with Coby White now so the second unit is very solid since that also includes Caruso and ostensibly Patrick Williams, at least until he gets his feet under him.
Yeah, Williams working with the 2nd unit does actually make more sense.
Ball, LaVine, Derozan, Green, Vucevic
Ayo, White, Caruso, P.Williams/DJJ, Thompson/Bradley
With everyone back, they’ll be 12 deep and raring to take some teams out!!
I think ZLV should stop messing about & decline to play in the All-Star game, so someone else can have the chance to, it would be very sad for him to selfishly wanna be there & then don’t play, give a chance to someone else & you can rest an extra week & come back stronger after, if he doesn’t decline I will be very disappointed in him as a man!