Zach LaVine is back and better than ever for Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine just returned from COVID-19 and is looking like his peak self.

Chicago Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine got off to a somewhat sluggish start to the 2021-22 campaign, at least relative to his scorching-hot start to a 2020-21 season that was ultimately derailed by COVID-19. LaVine played through a thumb injury earlier this season that seemed to affect him a bit, though he still was putting up good numbers.

But of late, LaVine is looking better than ever, especially in the last couple of games since his return from another bout with COVID-19. The Bulls star returned to the lineup against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday and poured in 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from deep. In the next win against the Atlanta Hawks, he had 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting and 5-of-8 from 3-point range to go along with nine assists.

For the season, LaVine is now nearly matching last season's numbers. He's averaging 26.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 49.6% from the field and 40.6% from 3-land. Those are really impressive numbers given LaVine's diet of tough shots. Between LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls have two elite bucket-getters who can hit daggers from all over the court against tough defense.

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On the latest episode of Blue Wire's Cash Considerations podcast, Ricky O'Donnell talked about LaVine's season:

“The injured thumb on his left hand, which did seem to be affecting him earlier in the season, sure seems to be cleared up now. Maybe that was sort of a hidden benefit of him going into protocol. Actually gave him a little bit of time to get healthy. Zach has had a really good season from the start, if you look at his numbers, but it still felt like he could give the Bulls a little bit more. I think these last two games we've seen the peak version of LaVine.”

With LaVine and DeRozan leading the way, the Bulls are looking like a formidable threat in the Eastern Conference. They're in second place with a record of 21-10 while boasting an elite offense, and their defense isn't too shabby either when Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are in the lineup. Watch out for these Chicago Bulls.