The Chicago Bulls got Zach LaVine and a host of other players back from the NBA's health and safety protocols on Thursday, and it seemed as if they were in the clear for COVID-19. But Friday, the Bulls announced that Billy Donovan got a lump of coal in his Christmas stocking, entering the protocols himself.
Luckily, no new Bulls players entered protocols. Bulls assistant coach Chris Fleming will take Donovan's place as long as he's out, per NBC Sports Chicago's Rob Schaefer.
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Chicago is coming out of a massive COVID-19 outbreak. At its peak, the Bulls had 10 players and even two announcers in protocols. Nikola Vucevic also missed time after testing positive in November. The outbreak resulted in two recent postponements, and there was a third postponement this week because of the Toronto Raptors' outbreak.
The players have steadily been coming back, with star DeMar DeRozan returning this past Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers and then LaVine returning to practice on Thursday. The Bulls are still dealing with a few injuries, with Alex Caruso out for another week or so and Derrick Jones Jr. sidelined. Patrick Williams has been out for a while and could miss the rest of the season.
Caruso, Lonzo Ball and Tony Bradley are the last Bulls rotation players to not enter protocols. Chicago's next game is Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. The Bulls are 19-10 in the season, which is good for second in the Eastern Conference behind the Brooklyn Nets. If this success keeps up, Donovan will be a top candidate for Coach of the Year.