With both teams still vying for a postseason berth, the Chicago Bulls received some bad news about their impending matchup against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
Veteran stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are both listed as questionable on the injury report (h/t NBC Sports Chicago insider K.C. Johnson).
Should one or both of these players be unavailable it'll be a major blow. Not only because having one or both of them healthy would improve their ability to exploit Dallas oft-criticized defense but because the Bulls will likely need to keep up with Luka and star guard Kyrie Irving offensively, regardless.
Defensive-minded guard Alex Caruso is also listed as questionable. However, though having Patrick Beverley on the roster would seem to make up for that loss, Beverley was signed to cover the hole left by the ailing Lonzo Ball. That said, the absence of Caruso will still leave their primary rotation down a player.
Fortunately for the Bulls, players such as Javonte Green may be able to pick up some of the slack on that end.
Still, without DeRozan or LaVine, Chicago may have to win an ugly game that relies on them being physical and playing stifling defense. DeRozan and LaVine combine for 49.6 points per game, LaVine's straightforward attack complementing DeRozan's fancy footwork and midrange mastery.
On the other side, Luka and Kyrie average a combined 59.7 points per game, with Luka one of the top-tier playmakers in the league and Kyrie an incredibly skilled scorer.
With their defense still a work in progress, they may be glad for at least one of DeRozan and LaVine to be unable to play. However, they would have a much more difficult game if Caruso were to play.
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