Chicago Bulls: 3 biggest storylines for the rest of the 2018-19 season

1. Will the Bulls shut down Zach LaVine for remainder of season?

Considering LaVine was rehabbing an ACL injury when the team acquired him, the front office wanted to make sure he was brought along at a deliberate pace. With that in mind, he suited up just 24 games for Chicago last season, compiling averages of 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest on shooting splits of .383/.341/.813.

After the Bulls matched the four-year, $78 million offer sheet he received from the Sacramento Kings, there was some concern as to whether he could live up to that multi-year contract.

In a word: Absolutely.

As was the case with Markkanen, LaVine has been playing well for a majority of the season, but he definitely elevated his game to new heights in February. During that stretch, LaVine posted averages of 24.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest.

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1101708905523097600

He shot an efficient 53.2 percent from the field and a sizzling 49 percent from distance as well. Obviously, LaVine’s play during the season has been a positive, but at the same time, the news hasn’t been all good.

You see, LaVine has been dealing with a strained right knee that kept him out of the mix for games against the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers. From one perspective, it wouldn’t be smart to risk further aggravating an injury, especially since the team doesn’t have much to play for at this point.

Conversely, it is equally important for Chicago to have its key players on the court as much as possible to help build chemistry going into next season — a sentiment LaVine recently spoke about.

"“This is basketball. It’s my favorite thing to do,” LaVine told the Daily Herald. “What else would I be doing right now? If I can play, I’m going to play. That’s just not who I am. That’s not what I do. “It’s going to be good for the team. We can get our chemistry down, continue to play well, build things for next year. But I’m not somebody that’s going to sit out. If I’m hurt, there’s no reason to try to risk anything. But if I’m not, I’m going to play.”"

In other words, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Bulls fans should expect to see LaVine in the lineup for the duration of the season.