The Chicago Bulls have emerged as one of the teams to watch out for early in the NBA season. With a 4-1 start, they've propelled themselves to a place they haven't been in a long time – atop the Eastern Conference.

But despite the newfound depth and added star power on the roster, the Bulls will only go as far as Zach LaVine takes them. The All-Star, however, was hit with troubling news as his thumb was revealed to have a small ligament tear, one he's decided to play through.

LaVine will try to power through the pain, which means he's going to be far from 100% for the time being. The Bulls star was brutally honest on the state of his thumb after their loss against the New York Knicks, their first of the season.

“It will be like this for a little bit,” the Bulls star said. “Knock on wood that nothing happens in the game to where it re-aggravates it. But it has to play its course. They were telling me it’s almost like a grade-2 ankle sprain but in my thumb. So it’s going to take some time.”

The Bulls shooting guard has been one of the most dynamic scorers in the NBA in recent seasons. He admitted that this thumb injury severely limits his ability to create on offense and is still a huge risk – one he's willing to take.

“There are certain shots and ways I can’t go. It’s like dribbling with four fingers. Just gotta find ways to manage it. I have a day to see some more (protection) things. There’s not a lot you can do to it. Obviously, if I don’t tape it, I’m going to be at risk for tearing it. Even with taped, it is (risky). It was pretty protected. I got hit a couple times.”

The Chicago Bulls were touted by many as a surprise dark horse in the Eastern Conference this season. They've certainly looked the part through five games, but have plenty more to prove.