Bulls News

Zach LaVine is expected to be out for much longer as Billy Donovan reveals his foot has flared up again

This is awful news for Zach Lavine and the Bulls.
© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:


The cha-cha dance that has been Zach LaVine’s season took another turn on Thursday when Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan revealed that the All-Star guard would be out of the lineup for much longer than expected.

Donovan shared that LaVine is experiencing a lot of discomfort in his right foot. Aside from the sprain he suffered in a game against the Toronto Raptors, his right foot has apparently flared up again.

Re-evaluated in a week

The Bulls’ medical staff initially pegged LaVine to be sidelined for one to two weeks. However, that is no longer the case as Donovan bared that the former UCLA star would be re-evaluated in a week. This news comes as a major blow to the Bulls, who are trying to get to the .500 mark since starting the season 5-14. The Bulls are 1-2 since LaVine’s latest injury.

"I think there's a lot going on there for him with the ankle, the foot, everything right now," Donovan said.

"His foot has definitely flared up. I think the ankle contributed to it. I think he has a lot of discomfort all around. So everything has been impacted by the ankle sprain."

Frustrating season

Every time LaVine is ready to take a step forward in his injury recovery, it seems like something else pops up to hold him back. This has been a recurring theme throughout the season for the Bulls’ star player. 

He missed 17 games in December due to an inflammation in his right foot. He returned earlier this month and helped the team win five of seven games before suffering the sprained ankle.

"I think it's just really frustrating for him," Donovan said.

"When you miss the amount of games that he missed, and he comes back and starts playing and then sprains his ankle, it's been hard for him to catch a rhythm here for several weeks. I think he wants to play. He loves playing. And it's frustrating for him that he can't play."

Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball to reunite in Los Angeles, but not in the way the Chicago Bulls had hoped


Published
Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.