KEY POINTS

  • Zach LaVine is set to meet with a specialist in Los Angeles to address concerns in his left knee
  • LaVine is still open to playing in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 20
  • Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan will be more than enough to cover his production

The Chicago Bulls are having one of their best seasons since the Derrick Rose era, and All-Star guard Zach LaVine has become their next franchise star.

However, there is growing doubt that their season could be in jeopardy after a recent injury update.

According to senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, LaVine will be traveling to Los Angeles to “see a specialist for his left knee early this week” due to recurring discomfort in that area.

LaVine dealing with knee issues should not be surprising for those who have followed his career as this is the same knee where he tore his ACL back in February 2017.

NBA fans are very much aware of how potent the aftereffects of having a torn ACL are, with the aforementioned Rose being the most poignant example.

Recurring knee soreness is to be expected for a player who is as dynamic and athletic as LaVine because his playstyle relies heavily on his agility and explosiveness on both ends of the ball.

In the Bulls’ 57 games this season, LaVine missed 10 of them and that is a pretty fair shake for the team as they have more than enough talent to cover his absence thanks to the combined efforts of Nikola Vucevic and fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan.

The Bulls should be ready for the worst when it comes to LaVine after a report came out that LaVine may miss this week at the very least.

Joe Crowley of the Chicago Sun Times also reported that LaVine is concerned about how this injury could affect his next contract as he will be a free agent going into the summer.

LaVine is rumored to still be gearing up for the All-Star Game as part of Team Durant but may be subject to change following the medical findings.

The Bulls only have two games this week against the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings, and resting LaVine might be their best option to better their chances once the season inevitably winds down going into the playoffs.

Averaging 24.6 points on an incredible 48.2 percent from the field, LaVine cannot afford to miss the playoffs at any point as his on-court production will be crucial in their hopes of making it out of the Eastern Conference and into the NBA Finals.

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