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The Chicago Bulls have been on fire this season. After taking heavy criticism for their offseason moves, namely the signing of DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls have been mesmerizing and currently occupy the number one spot in the Eastern Conference. That means several months into the season, the Bulls are ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, both presumed as prime title favorites. However, the Bulls were hit with a setback during Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors, as Zach LaVine suffered a knee injury. This could mean trouble for the Bulls, but Chicago shouldn't collapse without LaVine. Here are two reasons why Zach LaVine's injury will not significantly impact the Bulls' success.
Impact of Zach LaVine's injury on Bulls success
Strength of schedule
The Bulls are still a great team, even without Zach LaVine. Obviously, even for one game, the Bulls will miss the 24.9 points he scores per contest this year. However, the squad can ride the next period with minimal trouble. To understand this, we need to look at the next few games the Bulls are playing. While there are some great teams there, the majority of their next 10 or so games should be wins even without their All-Star wing.
In their next 12, the Bulls are playing seven games against teams that are under .500. That includes two meetings with the Orlando Magic, and one with each versus the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Indiana Pacers. Out of the five they are playing against teams with over 50% of the wins, two of them will come against the Toronto Raptors, who are just one game above .500 with 21 wins in 41 games. The other three teams will be serious challenges for the Bulls, even with LaVine, as they are playing the Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bulls already had some stretches without key players this season. Their meeting with the Celtics will be the third game without LaVine this season, and they won both of the previous two, against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. They have been less successful without DeRozan, who missed three games earlier and the Bulls only won once. Even more impressively, one more offseason addition in Lonzo Ball missed five games a couple of weeks back, and the Bulls won them all.
They've dealt with limited injury issues this year, but the team has taken care of business. While Zach LaVine means a lot to the Bulls, he's not the be-all and end-all of the team. It will be rough without him, even for a single game, but the Bulls have shown they can manage. Should this be a more serious injury than expected, the Bulls will recover without any problems.
The squad can definitely step up
It feels weird to say, as they have been on a roll this year, but the Bulls can still improve. Large parts of their roster have taken a step back, offensively, to accommodate the two wings averaging around 25 points each. Most notably, it is going to be the guard-center duo that really needs to step up for the Bulls, should LaVine miss extended time. It is, of course, Ball and Nikola Vucevic.
Ball has never been a score-first player and probably will never develop into one in the NBA. His primary role is to get everyone involved, facilitating and running the offense, and making sure that the defensive deficiencies of his wings are taken care of. However, Ball can stuff the basket regardless, and he might need to do it more if LaVine is out. He had some good games this season for the Bulls, dropping 27 on the Lakers in November, or 21 against the Mavericks a few days before the Los Angeles game. Ball does not have to do it all season, but if he can step up now, it would mean a lot to the Bulls.
Vucevic, on the other hand, is a scorer, or he was, before this season. Excluding one season in the middle of his career, he is having the worst scoring year since his third season in the league. Of course, with LaVine and DeRozan providing the buckets, the Bulls don't have to ask much offensively from Vuj. He is averaging 16 points per game as a complementary piece, but should LaVine be out for more than just the Celtics game, Vucevic will need to step up. With a combined effort of Vucevic and Ball, the Bulls can cover for the absence of LaVine's production. It is not sustainable, but it can be a good short-term remedy for the injury issues of the squad.
