Some good news has come down the pipe for the Chicago Bulls.
The most prized acquisition (in my opinion) of the Bulls Jimmy Butler trade, Zach LaVine, will finally be making his Bulls debut after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in February of 2017.
Zach LaVine expected to make his season debut Saturday, per @KCJHoop pic.twitter.com/p0yTr4VIWI
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 9, 2018
The timing is interesting as LaVine’s return is also his bobble head night, it would be hard to believe many players enjoy a bobble head night the day they debut with a new team.
LaVine averaged 18.9 points per game last season in Minnesota and will likely become to the go-to player for a Bulls team in need of a scoring punch as he gets his legs back under him and starts earning more minutes over the next few weeks.
The fact that he is returning with about half of the season left is vitally important for him and the Bulls organization as well, as LaVine will be entering restricted free agency this off-season.
The Bulls want to know if he is a part of their future and LaVine wants to prove he is a star on the rise and worthy of a large contract extension.
Vincent Goodwill, Bulls insider for NBC Sports Chicago, gives us a preview of how many minutes to expect for LaVine out of the gate:
Paxson said LaVine will play 20 minutes a game to start. Said the Bulls are taking a "conservative" approach and won't play the one back to back before the All Star break
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) January 9, 2018
The Bulls are playing a much faster-paced brand of basketball over the past couple months after an NBA worst 3-21 start and LaVine should fit well once he is up to speed.
