The Chicago Bulls head into their season opener on Wednesday against the Miami Heat very shorthanded. Lonzo Ball is still injured but to make matters worse, Zach LaVine is also out due to injury management for his knee. He's likely to miss the first of a back-to-back on Friday as well versus the Washington Wizards, paving the way for his debut on Saturday at home.

Via Shams Charania:

LaVine dealt with knee soreness at the tail-end of last season and had a minor procedure done in late May. With a long campaign ahead, the Bulls aren't risking their guard playing too much.

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It's a huge year for Chicago as they look to return to the playoffs. It'll be up to LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to lead the charge though and hopefully, Nikola Vucevic can also step up and be the best version of himself. Ball has a chance at returning in the second half of the season. For the time being, Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso will hold it down at PG.

LaVine was solid last season for the Bulls, posting averages of 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 67 games played, forming a dynamic partnership with DeRozan, who was Billy Donovan's best player. Both guys made the All-Star Game, too.

With LaVine likely sidelined until Saturday, that means he'll be in action for the first time against a new-look Cleveland Cavaliers team that acquired Donovan Mitchell this offseason. It'll be a stiff test for the Bulls but with their star duo on the court together, a victory is very much possible.