Chicago Bulls Roster, Injury News 2017: Zach LaVine Expected to Make Bulls Debut in January
High-flying guard Zach LaVine has not seen any game action since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee last February, but Chicago Bulls fans may finally see him suit up and make his season debut in a few weeks' time.
On Saturday, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed that LaVine's scheduled to go through six consecutive full practices starting on Dec. 30, and if he responds well, fans should see him in the lineup in mid-January.
Hoiberg has also noted that LaVine actually had a minor setback in his rehab after he strained his back while he was dunking last week. The timetable for his return hasn't been pushed back because of the back injury, but the Bulls are expected to bring him along slowly.
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"You just can't expect the body to be ready for the grind of the NBA," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said during an interview on 670 The Score on Monday, via CBS Chicago.
"We're going to have to be really careful. We talked about the possibility of playing him in some games with our G League affiliate in Hoffman Estates sometime in January. There's a timeline, but it's very flexible and we're going to have to see. I would temper some of this in terms of like to be pinned down on a date, I'm not going to get caught up on that," he continued.
In any case, the fourth-year guard is expected to make his return sooner rather than later, and he should give the Bulls a much-needed boost on the offensive end of the floor.
The Bulls acquired LaVine in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves this past summer. He averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game last season, and he shot 45.9 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.6 percent from the free-throw line.
