With all of the oozing young talent we’ve seen on display so far this NBA season, a lot of people seem to be forgetting about Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine. The 6’5″ combo guard is one of the brightest younger stars in the NBA but is still recovering from a torn ACL that cut his career-best 2016-17 campaign short.
One of the absolute best athletes the game has to offer, LaVine is now inching closer and closer to making his return to the court with his new Bulls team after being part of the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade on draft night. Though he was expected to make his Bulls debut sometime around the All-Star break, LaVine could be back even sooner than that as Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson reports that he has been cleared for full-contact practice:
As expected, Bulls guard Zach LaVine received clearance Monday to take full contact in practice after visiting the Los Angeles-based surgeon who repaired his torn left ACL in February.
When LaVine will play his first game hasn’t been determined. But the centerpiece acquisition in the Jimmy Butler trade said last week in Oklahoma City he’s targeting mid- to late December.
LaVine’s own expected return date in December would be nearly two months ahead of when they anticipated to get him back. That being said, even once LaVine makes his return to game action, the Bulls will surely tread carefully to preserve their lead guard.
The Bulls have an interesting future ahead of them, to say the least. Though LaVine is slated to become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of this year, the Bulls would be hard-pressed to let him walk. LaVine is one of the few foundational pieces currently in place for Chicago.
Guard Kris Dunn has also impressed early on so pairing him with LaVine should be an extremely entertaining backcourt tandem for years to come. Rookie Lauri Markkanen has also lived up to his high draft pick in the early going so Chicago does have a few pieces to work with, especially if LaVine can transition to a true team leader.
We should expect LaVine to shoulder all the offensive work he can handle in Fred Hoiberg’s system once his ACL has fully recovered. LaVine posted tremendous numbers with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, averaging 18.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field in 47 games.
