Woj: Zach LaVine is expected to miss several games, healthy & safety protocol

[FranchisePlayer]

Tank Commander Coby White will deliver us to a string of Ls in order to draft his replacement.

I don't support tanking in any form or shape but it's hard to disagree with you.

So fingers crossed he stays on the bench.

[Ice Man]

Now we probably will win more games. This team was in a huge funk. A shakeup will likely make it better, by energizing the people who are given more responsibility, and by instilling an edge of desperation.

No knock on Zach, I would said the same if Vuce were out.

[Red8911]

Hope he doesn't actually have COVID, let alone a bad case of it.

Not counting on a 4-pick or anything, but all factors in mind, as it impacts the Bulls is fine to me.

He's rolled his ankle almost every game; the chemistry is all out of sorts and we're getting by with Zach hero ball. I've been fearing a major injury with him as he plays the game on a limp with no restraint.

So let's get the rest of this roster sorted.

With your logic let’s just wrap Lavine up with bubble wrap and save him. Maybe he will never get an injury ever again if he sits now lol.

The way Zach plays though I too fear he could get a major injury but it’s not something anyone can control. Injuries are an unlucky moment that just happen.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

The tank is on.

What tank bro. If they don’t win then they will simply give Orlando a higher pick. There’s a very low chance of getting top 4. Unless you’re a Magic fan?

Remember, it makes no difference at this point where the pick lands if it isn't in the top 4. If it is 5th or 30th, the location has no effect on this Bulls team. The only effect it has moving forward is how aggravating it may feel losing a higher pick, but the pick is gone.

So it depends on whether you want slightly better odds at a top pick, or squeeze into the 10th-9th seed play in game and likely get an extra game where you get to watch this team get smashed.

After the trade, I had a week where I thought "Charlotte has some injuries, maybe this team can sneak into 5-6 and get to play some meaningful playoff basketball, even have a competitive series". This team is far, far away from that, so shouldn't everyone be rooting for higher lottery odds?

[qianlong]

The outgoing pick this year is starting to look really bad. I'm starting to wonder if even with the low protection and the new odds it is best to tank the season. We are closer to the fifth worst record in the league than to the 9 seed. If we shut down Lavine a couple of weeks for the ankle, we are basically there.

so we did it!goes to the draft thread and starts praying

[Jo Jo English]

Here's to hoping Zach is back on his feet and feeling great very soon. That's obviously the most important thing.

That said, ever since Zach rolled his ankle, pretty much everything has gone wrong for this team. A month ago making the playoffs and getting our guys some post-season experience was very much on the table and looked very likely. Now? Eh, I don't know.

At this point the best route forward might be to try to position ourselves as positively as we can for the draft. We very well may lose the pick anyway, but I'm not sure what other goal is worth working towards now. The new draft odds at least give us a fighting chance to move up if we finish out the season playing like we have lately. Losing 28 ppg certainly won't help us win more games.

A lot of this hangs on just how much time Zach misses as well. We shall see.

[ChiCitySPORTS#1]

Just call it a season tbh, come out swinging in the offseason

[ZOMG]

Weird things happen when people are out though.

The rest of the team will feel the need to actually contribute offensively and it just balances out. Its like when we were missing Sato, Lauri, Wendell and Otto and we were still winning games.

It will be interesting to see who starts. Coby? Brown? Or bring Lauri back from the bench and mix things up completely.

If LaVine is out and he played yesterday, it's likely he's not the only one on the Bulls that has this. Could be looking at a complete shutdown or a 8-9 man team.

Most of the Bulls were vaccinated a while ago. I remember Thad saying in an interview that there were only a few guys who didn't get it.

[weneeda2guard]

I really hope AK got some tricks up his sleeve this off season

[Rose2Boozer]

Have no fear Coby White is here

[dougthonus]

The thing is, Detroit, Minnesota, Houston and Orlando are mortal locks for a top 4 pick unless someone jumps them.

So either way, you are praying that we jump or no one jumps us. You just have to let things play out. If its meant to be, it will happen.

http://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds

Here is the crap shoot that is the new lottery odds. I believe there is a 94% chance that someone will jump them.

Bulls are actually only 2 games out of the #5 spot which has a 42% chance of getting a top 4 pick.

If we had not made this trade, the Bulls would probably be really happy to lose and take whatever pick they get, even if it's #7 and we mock it.

Getting worse improves our odds of moving up and also improves our odds of handing #5-#7 over to Orlando. Not that you should care, from a game theory perspective, of what happens for Orlando, only what happens for you.

[thedarkstark]

Jesus, I've been very anti-tank the past 2 seasons but at this point eff it let's go winless and get a top 4 pick.

[Pentele]

The thing is, Detroit, Minnesota, Houston and Orlando are mortal locks for a top 4 pick unless someone jumps them.

So either way, you are praying that we jump or no one jumps us. You just have to let things play out. If its meant to be, it will happen.

http://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds

Here is the crap shoot that is the new lottery odds. I believe there is a 94% chance that someone will jump them.

Bulls are actually only 2 games out of the #5 spot which has a 42% chance of getting a top 4 pick.

If we had not made this trade, the Bulls would probably be really happy to lose and take whatever pick they get, even if it's #7 and we mock it.

Getting worse improves our odds of moving up and also improves our odds of handing #5-#7 over to Orlando. Not that you should care, from a game theory perspective, of what happens for Orlando, only what happens for you.

That is exactly right. The only thing that is really affected by giving a better pick to Orlando, is the (future) probability, or the ability by the fans to say, that the Bulls won the trade (in the end). And that thing has zero real value to any rational actor (unless you are concerned that it is specifically the Magic that is going to be in the way of the Bulls in the future, and not just any other team that would get a better pick in case the Magic won't).

[Stratmaster]

The thing is, Detroit, Minnesota, Houston and Orlando are mortal locks for a top 4 pick unless someone jumps them.

So either way, you are praying that we jump or no one jumps us. You just have to let things play out. If its meant to be, it will happen.

http://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds

Here is the crap shoot that is the new lottery odds. I believe there is a 94% chance that someone will jump them.

Bulls are actually only 2 games out of the #5 spot which has a 42% chance of getting a top 4 pick.

Without Lavine I can easily see the Bulls in the #6 spot. But the way OKC is playing (lost 8 in a row and 9 of their last 10) they seem pretty determined to hold onto or improve from their 5 spot. But hey. 6th has a 37.2% chance of a top 4 pick and a 9% chance of getting the #1 pick.

I can't believe I am actually having to seriously consider this versus trying to move UP to the #6 seed for the playoffs. It's depressing.

[JockItch43]

Best wishes to Zach. I hope it's just exposure and not infection.

As for the season, this is a mercy killing.

Found out this morning before the announcement that he tested positive. Hope he has a speedy recovery. Hopefully nobody else tests positive.

[MrSparkle]

Hope he doesn't actually have COVID, let alone a bad case of it.

Not counting on a 4-pick or anything, but all factors in mind, as it impacts the Bulls is fine to me.

He's rolled his ankle almost every game; the chemistry is all out of sorts and we're getting by with Zach hero ball. I've been fearing a major injury with him as he plays the game on a limp with no restraint.

So let's get the rest of this roster sorted.

With your logic let’s just wrap Lavine up with bubble wrap and save him. Maybe he will never get an injury ever again if he sits now lol.

The way Zach plays though I too fear he could get a major injury but it’s not something anyone can control. Injuries are an unlucky moment that just happen.

Eh. I hear you. But I think I've seen enough examples of guards playing on a bum ankle or knee trying to push a bad team to fringe success. Zach is simply forcing inefficient baskets against trap schemes out of broken plays right now. He's making them at an extremely high level, but I don't think this team's fate lays in his hands this season.

Two sharp memories:

- Jimmy Butler hyperextended knee after carrying the bum Bulls towards a #8 seed push (fortunately it looked worse than it was; Sixers game, I believe)

- Kobe Achilles tear trying to will the wash-up bum Lakers to an #8 seed (his MVP career pretty much ended)

Both were cases of dysfunctional teams with an aggressive leader trying to make plays out of spoiled chicken salad.

When you also look at Durant, Klay, Rose coming back to compete on bum ankles/knees, it's been medically suggested that overworking and overcompensating 1 injury will lead to a worse one. Zach has had 3 ankle rolls in the last month, and was clearly bothered enough for the coach to make excuses. Coupled with the ACL on his medical history, and the league generally taking wise note of this hyper dense schedule putting players at injury risk...

I'm just saying... I was about 1 more sub-500 loss away from shutting him for the season any way... but he seemed determined to win some games, despite the rest of the team looking beyond hopeless (reminder: we just got man-handled by the Wolves, Grizzlies and the Wendell Carter Jr. Magic).

In the meantime, I really hope it's a mild case of COVID and he does get better soon. It would be great if this team could sort its **** out and have him come back for a play-in. Otherwise, it's time to evaluate the hell out of the remaining parts.

[SfBull]

Time for Pat to carry the offense.

Which is to say we'll have no offense.

[SfBull]

I'm going to get a better use for my League Pass finding other teams for watching excluding the Bulls.Not excited on rooting for losses.

[Wingy]

Fun times for Magic fans. I remember the days of the Knicks pick thread.

[Leslie Forman]

If they actually play better with him out, this board is gonna be a real fun time.