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Chicago Bulls: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

By James D. Tillman III

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 30: Robin Lopez #8 of the Chicago Bulls enters the court before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 30, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 30: Robin Lopez #8 of the Chicago Bulls enters the court before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 30, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images /

4. Zach LaVine will have a solid season in first year with the Bulls

When the news of the Butler trade was introduced to Bulls fans, the move was not totally welcomed with open arms, and rightfully so. It’s not easy to digest the fact that your team is trading away an established, three-time All-Star for a group of players who all have question marks.

The biggest unknown out of all the players involved in this trade has to be LaVine. Yes, he was having an All-Star caliber season with Minnesota last season before he went down with an ACL injury.

In fact, the third-year guard was averaging 19 points per contest on 46 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc. The uncertainty here is how long will it take before he is able to return to the court.

If you ask LaVine, himself, he is confident he will be ready by the time training camp rolls around.

The second question then becomes: Can he return to the same level he was playing at prior to the injury? While the answer can go in either direction, considering Bulls fans have witnessed the same scenario with Derrick Rose, they may be a bit hesitant to jump on the bandwagon at first.

While I’m still of the opinion that this was not a great trade for the Bulls, I do believe LaVine is capable of having a solid season. Will he make the UC faithful forget about the guy he is replacing? Probably not.

But he will give the fans something to cheer about, if  he does return to his previous form.

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