Zach LaVine is preparing for his first game against the Chicago Bulls since leaving the franchise. The Bulls and Sacramento Kings are set to face off on Thursday, March 20.
In a recent interview with Sam Smith of NBA.com, LaVine opened up on his time with the Bulls, and how difficult it was to leave.
“I loved Chicago,” LaVine told Smith. “As much as there was drama, and I understand how big of a market it is… the status you have as a player with a contract like I had and being the “quote” face or pillar of the franchise when I came, a lot goes with it. But I tried to take that on my shoulders regardless of good or bad. Chicago’s always going to be a special place in my heart, and I hope the fan base, the organization know how much I deeply care for them.”
LaVine continued.
“I grew up there. I became a man there. I raised a family. We weren’t the most successful team in my time, but during those times of tribulations and the ups and downs you really find yourself and find who wants to win for the city and who cares for the team.”
Since joining the Kings, LaVine has suited up for 18 games. He’s averaging 22.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 44.1% from 3-point range.
Bulls’ Tre Jones Has Been Impressive
When the Bulls traded LaVine, they got Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter and their own 2025 first-round pick as part of the deal. Since then, Jones has rapidly earned himself a sizeable role in the Bulls rotation.
“He’s got something, he’s got the IT factor to me,” Donovan said during a March 8 news confernce. “He really does. He’s just a winner. You can look at size and length for position and he probably doesn’t have any of those things. But he has really good speed, he’s really tough, he’s got a high IQ, he understands competition. He can really stay in the moment and compete. The last two games on the road he’s been great. He’s got a lot of substance, a lot of competitive character to him.”
Jones, 25, will enter unrestricted free agency in the summer. Based on his current production, the Bulls will likely look to re-sign him to a long-term deal. He is already proving to be a solid addition to the Bulls team after initially being considered as a salary-matching throw-in.
Bulls Could Use a Double-Big Lineup
The addition of Collins has also been an interesting one for the Bulls. The veteran big man has split his 15 games between coming off the bench and working as part of the starting lineup. Of course, Collins could also partner Nikola Vucevic as part of a double-big lineup, should head coach Billy Donovan feel like experimenting.
“It’s something we need to look at (playing double-big),” Donovan said. “The only apprehension I would have with that would be: does it get in the way stylistically of how we’ve played? I don’t know that, and I also don’t want to pass judgment on those three guys [Vucevic, Collins and Jalen Smith] that two of the three can’t play together without even potentially looking at some of it in practice or a game presents itself. I don’t see us playing extended minutes like that, but I do see opportunities for that to happen.”
Experimenting with a double-big lineup makes sense. However, that lineup is unlikely to occur against the Kings. Sacramento likes to play at pace, and they enjoy controlling the tempo. Putting two bigs on the floor would be a recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, Donovan will likely have a plan to overcome the Kings.
Win or lose, though, it’s clear LaVine will be pleased to see his old coaches and teammates. Still, that doesn’t mean Donovan’s team won’t be playing for the win. After all, the Bulls have shown no willingness to drop out of the play-in tournament spots in recent weeks.
