Which version of Zach LaVine will the Chicago Bulls get if and when he returns?

The Chicago Bulls have been in a roll of late. Winners of six of their last nine games, the Bulls are making their way up in the Eastern Conference, thanks to the meteoric rise of guard Coby White and the steady production of veterans Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan.

However, there’s still the matter of All-Star guard Zach LaVine, who remains sidelined due to a foot injury and is expected to return in early January. A legitimate 20-plus-point scorer, LaVine’s absence has coincided with the Bulls’ winning run.

It remains to be seen if there’s any correlation between the two, but it’s safe to say that Chicago is a different team when LaVine is in the lineup. When he returns, will he help take the Bulls to even greater heights, or will his presence disrupt their newfound chemistry?

LaVine remains engaged with the Bulls

Bulls coach Billy Donovan has his hands full. Between trying to find ways to keep the team on the winning track, he also has to help keep LaVine engaged with the team while he recovers from his injury. And so far, things are going well.

“In my conversations with him — and we speak every day — I think he really misses the game. The other thing is he has really been great on the bench [and] in the locker room, pulling for those guys,” Donovan shared.

Donovan reports that the All-Star has been doing shooting drills and some light jogging. However, he hasn’t progressed to making a sudden change of direction maneuvers, which Donovan reports he had trouble with earlier this month.

The #Bulls are now 6-3 since Zach LaVine exited the lineup.

They've beaten the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th seed in the East during that stretch.

Their losses came to the Heat (buzzer beater), Nuggets (defending champs), and Bucks (2nd seed). pic.twitter.com/JO3sykbrpg
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) December 19, 2023

Sacrifices need to be made

LaVine’s absence has opened the door for White to flourish. The former Tar Heel has averaged 23.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.2 rebounds in the last 14 games. LaVine’s return will no doubt impact White the most; to what extent remains to be seen. Donovan clarified that sacrifices must be made if the Bulls are to keep their ascent going.

‘‘It’s like DeMar [DeRozan] or Vooch [Nikola Vucevic] or any player: They all have to figure there’s going to be sacrifices they have to make,” Donovan said.

‘‘I do think whenever he comes back, and there’s a period of time where a player has been out, everybody kind of readjusts to playing together again. That’s just normal.’’

The 4th quarter of last night's win over Philly was a perfect example of why this Coby White breakout feels so real.

He didn't need to hunt shots in a close game to make a positive impact. White led as a distributor with 5 ASTs to FOUR different Bulls. Initiated offense fast. pic.twitter.com/65PcLpNGRM
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) December 19, 2023

LaVine remains engaged with the Bulls

Sacrifices need to be made

"I just think our energy has been different" - Nikola Vucevic says of the Chicago Bulls' recent play