The Bulls have found some form after a forgettable start to the season and Nikola Vucevic has spoken about the team’s recent success, which has coincidently been without their star Zach LaVine.
“We’ve been enjoying playing,” Vucevic said after the Bulls’ 108-104 win over the 76ers on Monday. “Each night it’s a different guy stepping up. All of us are supporting each other. You can just feel that. And when you play that way, it’s contagious and just brings out positive energy and guys enjoy playing with each other. We haven’t been as stagnant as we were early on. We’ve been getting downhill, finding the open guy, making the extra pass. That’s how you get everybody involved. The ball is going to find the main scorers and it’s our job to find everyone else and involve everyone and it’s contagious when you do. …”
Bulls coach Billy Donovan has also noticed a change in play from Vucevic and the rest of the team.
“We’re playing faster, and the ball is moving better, and he’s a player who functions very well in that kind of environment,” Donovan said.
No one from the organization will address the elephant in the room – the fact that the Bulls success has come at the exact same time LaVine is out with a foot injury.
“I think we are finally at how ever many games we are starting to click, finding a rhythm, locking in on the things we’ve talked about all year and competing on a high level,” Alex Caruso said. “This stretch, as crazy as it sounds, we could be 10-0 instead of what 6-3, 7-3; couple of late games we could have won.”
As it stands, Chicago have won seven of their last ten games, after beating the Lakers 124-108 on Wednesday.
NBA insider Chris Haynes is reporting that LaVine will probably return the first week on January.
Who knows how many games Chicago will have won without him by then.