Category: Bulls News

Zach LaVine talks about Bulls’ success: ‘We caught a great rhythm’

Zach LaVine is very hyped about the Chicago Bulls’ recent success.

Following a brutal start to the season, the Chicago Bulls have soared back into the Play-In Tournament race. Coby White and DeMar DeRozan have led the way, with some rebounding help from Andre Drummond along the way. However, the interesting part is that it’s all been without Zach LaVine.

LaVine went down with a foot issue on November 28 and just came back this past Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. In his absence, the Bulls seriously picked up the pace. While LaVine’s absence may not be directly correlated to Chicago’s extended success, it’s still something to note. However, LaVine couldn’t be more thrilled.

He recently spoke about how excited he is for the Bulls to finally see the fruit of their preseason labor.

“We caught a great rhythm in December doing the same thing that we were working on in training camp,” LaVine said via Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “It was great to see it actually start coming in and clicking.”

In his return to action against the Hornets on Friday, LaVine came off the bench for the Bulls. He put up 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from behind the three-point line.

Chicago picked up a win over Charlotte, who is sitting toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and they get to take on the Hornets again on Monday night.

However, their first real test with LaVine back won’t be until Wednesday, when they take on the new-look Houston Rockets.

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Are the Chicago Bulls getting healthy at just the right time?

Was the team’s early season struggles more of an aberration, or did these injuries provide the necessary cover for the Bulls to reinvent themselves?

Are the Chicago Bulls getting healthy at just the right time? With star lead guard Zach LaVine finally healthy again and not making waves as he reintegrated into how the Bulls have been playing without him to greater success, so too is staring Chicago center Nikola Vucevic now that his recent groin issues seem to be behind him.

While there have been some ongoing issues still in need of ironing out, as whole, the Bulls seem to have found a formula for success without these two key players — and more importantly, their reintroduction seems to be making the ball club better. Was the team’s early season struggles more of an aberration, or did these injuries provide the necessary cover for the Bulls to reinvent themselves?

Whatever the answer is in reality, the folks behind the “Locked On Bulls” podcast weighed in on what they think is going on with Chicago’s success in the wake of those twin injuries.

Check it out above!

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Bulls’ Alex Caruso details how he’s feeling amid injury recovery

Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso revealed how his injury recovery has been going.

The Chicago Bulls have been riddled with injuries this season, adding to the already-poor outlook they had to begin the season. Zach LaVine missed a ton of time, Nikola Vucevic was out for a while, and Torrey Craig is still out and set to miss multiple more weeks moving forward.

In addition, Alex Caruso is currently out with a cervical strain. The veteran guard has been a key piece of the Bulls’ success this season, and as the trade deadline inches closer, he could be one of their best assets. However, he needs to get back out on the court first.

Caruso recently spoke about his injury recovery and how it’s gone. (H/t Nick Raguz of Bulls News)

“The training staff has been taking care of me and I’ve been resting a lot,” Caruso said via KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “It feels good to be back on the court [Sunday].”

Head coach Billy Donvovan also provided an update on Caruso and Patrick Williams, who is also dealing with an injury. He noted that Caruso took part in non-contact practice on Sunday, but Williams did not.

So far this season, Caruso is averaging 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 51.0% from the floor and 42.6% from beyond the three-point arc.

The Bulls are going to be a team to watching heading into the trade deadline, and plenty of teams will undoubtedly be chomping at the bit to land Caruso. Chicago should want him to get healthy for the sake of their internal improvement, but also so they can explore potential trades.

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Bulls’ Coby White discusses next step in evolution of his game

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White sayd off-ball movement is the next step.

At the start of the season, everything was going downhill for the Chicago Bulls. It looked like they were headed straight for a rebuild, and they still might be. However, they have a few bright spots now, and the primary one is Coby White, who has been nothing short of amazing this season.

With Zach LaVine missing significant time, White stepped up in a big way. He’s been one of the driving factors for Chicago’s success, as he and DeMar DeRozan have been the leading scorers during the Bulls’ recent surge. However, at 23 years old, White still has plenty of room to improve.

White recently spoke about the next step in his evolution as a player – off-ball movement.

“Figure out how to move without the ball more,” White said via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I need to watch more film on moving without the ball, getting into those open areas. AC [Alex Caruso] does that really well, and JC [Jevon Carter] does it really well, finding open areas, knowing drives and where to be. I want to play off those closeouts because I feel that’s where I’m most impactful, playing off the closeouts with either catch-and-shoots or driving it and get my playmaking involved.”

So far this season, White is averaging 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field and 39.6% from behind the three-point line.

If White can nail down his off-ball movement, his game with take another step forward. He has a real chance to be a star in Chicago.

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2 Western Conference playoff contenders could want Zach LaVine

These two West tems were floated as potential teams to watch in the Zach LaVine trade sweepstakes with the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls are going to have some tough decisions to make at this year’s NBA trade deadline. Following their tough start to the season, it looked as though they would be certain sellers. However, they’ve since skyrocketed back up the standings, establishing themselves as legitimate Play-In Tournament contenders.

Making things even more complicated is Zach LaVine’s return from injury. Prior to him being sidelined, reports indicated that the Bulls were focused on finding a trade for LaVine. However, he just made his return to action on Friday night after being out since November 28, and the next few weeks could help determine his value on the trade market.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times recently wrote an article detailing his potential trade case, and he noted that the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings could be two teams to watch out for.

“Keep an eye on Sacramento and Golden State as they battle with inconsistency and tough roster decisions, and then there’s always the unforeseen injury that could happen to a team with deep playoff aspirations,” Cowley wrote. “In other words, a quiet market today could become very loud tomorrow or in the upcoming weeks.”

The Warriors have dealt with a ton of inconsistencies this season, while the Kings have established themselves as a playoff team but not necessarily a title contender.

LaVine’s presence as a scorer and shot-creator would make sense on both teams, but again, his play over the Bulls’ upcoming stretch of games will play a big factor in his potential movement at the trade deadline.

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Bulls’ Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic look good in their return from injury

While neither was playing a significantly reduced role compared to before their injuries, it is promising that they integrated back into the flow of things so well.

The Chicago Bulls notched another win in the return of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, with both shining in a bench role as they beat up on the hapless Charlotte Hornets 104-91. Vucevic and LaVine each played significant minutes in their respective returns from injury as the Bulls continue to inch towards righting their rough start to the NBA’s 2023-34 season.

The Bulls big man put up 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 25 minutes of floor time, going 5-of-12 from the floor overall, his jumper looking rusty from deep with just 1-of-5 efficiency. LaVine contributed a modest 15 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists in 30 minutes of game time, shooting 6-of-11 and showing the same rust as his taller teammate with 1-of-5 results from beyond the arc as well. While neither was playing a significantly reduced role compared to before their injuries, it is promising that they integrated back into the flow of things so well.

Haize and Pat The Designer, the hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, dug into the positive returns of LaVine and Vucevic on a recent episode.

Check it out above!

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Nikola Vucevic speaks out on injury return in Bulls win over Hornets

After the Chicago Bulls’ 104-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, Nikola Vucevic spoke about his return from injury.

The Chicago Bulls snapped a two-game skid on Friday night, picking up a 104-91 win over the bottom-feeding Charlotte Hornets. Coby White was the star of the show, and 21-year-old Dalen Terry earned the first start of his NBA career, but the highlight of the game was the returns of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic after extended injury absences.

Both players came off the bench, and after the game, LaVine spoke about his return. He had been out since November 28. As for Vucevic, he missed five games in a row dating back to December 26 before coming back to action on Friday night.

He also spoke about his return from injury after the contest, discussing how he felt and what it was like to get back out on the court.

“I think it was just the first game kind of figuring out my minutes and stuff, but since everything went fine I think going forward it shouldn’t be an issue,” Vucevic said via ESPN.

Vucevic played 24:55 off the bench for the Bulls, giving them solid minutes in the win. He ended the night with 11 points, seven rebounds, and three assists while shooting 5-of-12 from the floor and 1-of-5 from behind the three-point line.

He played well, but he could also be a potential trade chip this season.

The Bulls signed the veteran big man to a three-year contract extension this summer, but despite their recent success, they still seem to be headed toward another rebuild at the deadline this year. Or, at the very least, a rebuild next offseason.

Considering he just re-signed, it seems relatively unlikely that the Bulls move him at the deadline this year, but he’ll certainly be a name to watch.

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Zach LaVine discusses return from injury in Bulls win over Hornets

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Charlotte Hornets, Zach LaVine spoke about his return from injury.

The Chicago Bulls continued their upswing on Friday night, winning their sixth game in their last 10. They earned a 104-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Coby White led the way with a monster night, pouring in 22 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists while shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-6 from deep, but Zach LaVine was the story of the evening.

LaVine made his return to action after missing 17 straight games from November 28 up until Friday. He came off the bench for the Bulls but ended up playing 29:55. The Bulls star played a big part in the win, giving them some solid production off the bench.

After the game, he spoke about how he felt in his long-awaited return from injury.

“Physically, all good, you just have to catch your wind … but I felt good. I’m going to get my wind over the next couple of games,” LaVine said via ESPN. “I think I did good. Missed a couple of open shots that I thought I should make, but other than that, I tried to go out there and play as hard as I could.”

LaVine finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-5 from beyond the three-point line.

Getting LaVine back into the fold should provide the Bulls with a nice boost, but perhaps more interestingly, it will give him a chance to rebuild his trade value.

As the trade deadline inches closer and closer, LaVine could still be one of the premier names on the block.

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DeMar DeRozan discusses how much Bulls miss injured players

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan recently discussed how much they miss their injured players.

The Chicago Bulls have pulled their way back into the Play-In Tournament, which is impressive, considering they started the year 5-14. Perhaps more impressive, however, is the fact that they’ve performed so well with so many of their core players sidelined with various injuries.

Zach LaVine hasn’t played in a game since November 28, Nikola Vucevic has missed a string of games, and Torrey Craig has missed some time as well. With them absent, DeMar DeRozan and Coby White have had to carry a heavy load, which is no easy feat. Luckily for Chicago, they’ve been doing a great job and have kept the Bulls in the win column.

After the Bulls’ 116-110 loss to the New York Knicks, DeRozan spoke about how much they miss the players who have been out. (H/t Sam Smith of NBA.com)

“Not to make an excuse, but we miss a lot of critical guys at a critical time,” DeRozan said. “We’ve all been doing our part, hold down the fort as best as we can. But it’s come to the point where we’re missing other guys that can contribute, more bodies that we can throw out there. We need the rest of the troops, that type of feeling. We’ve been competing our butts off, but those stints like tonight. That’s when you wish you had a guy out there like Vooch [Vucevic], TC [Craig], Zach [LaVine] to kind of shift the game a little bit for us.”

The Bulls have been playing well, but they could use some reinforcements sooner rather than later.

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Bulls’ Coby White enjoys challenge of increased defensive pressure

Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White recently spoke about the increased defensive pressure he’s been facing.

Things have turned around drastically after the Chicago Bulls’ 5-14 start. They’ve made a massive pushback into the Play-In Tournament race and are now 15-21 on the season. With Zach LaVine out, DeMar DeRozan has had to take on a larger role, but it’s been the surprise emergence of Coby White that’s led the way for Chicago.

Since LaVine went down with an injury on November 28, White has averaged 22.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 45.5% from the field and 40.1% from behind the three-point line. But perhaps more impressive is the fact that he’s put up such great numbers while defenses have focused in on him more.

White recently spoke about how he enjoys the challenge of the increased pressure from opposing defenses. (H/t Stephen Belsic of Bulls News)

“I mean, who wouldn’t want this challenge? For me, this is what you dreamed of,” White said via Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “Being a focal [target], teams have to do a game plan against you, being a focal point of the scouting report. So, for me, I get excited just for the challenge. I get excited for it.”

White talked about the pressure after the Bulls’ 116-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. In that one, he finished the night with 26 points, four rebounds, and eight assists on 9-of-19 shooting from the floor and 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.

At just 23 years old, White has a chance to blossom into a star for Chicago, but with LaVine returning from injury sooner rather than later, the Bulls will have to pick a direction.

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