Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies - GAME DAY PREVIEW

The Bulls face off against the Grizzlies sans Zach LaVine.

©David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls (20-23) will again tread the NBA waters without Zach LaVine, starting with a match-up against the Memphis Grizzlies (15-26) on Friday night at the United Center. The Bulls' All-Star guard rolled his ankle in their game versus the Toronto Raptors on Thursday and was diagnosed with a sprained ankle that would need 1-2 weeks to heal and rehabilitate.

Back to square one

Just when the Bulls were getting into a vibe playing with LaVine after the latter missed the whole month of December due to a foot injury, they must revert to their old ways without him. The Bulls bested the Raptors, 116-110, on Thursday despite LaVine scoring only eight points and playing just 24 minutes.

With Zach out, the onus of the offense will again be on the shoulders of the same cast that helped the Bulls rise from the bottom of the Eastern Conference in December—Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan.

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine is expected to miss at least one-to-two weeks with a right ankle sprain, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. LaVine underwent testing Friday suffering the injury in Thursday night’s win over Toronto and attempting to play through the sprain. pic.twitter.com/kxxSsAkfbU

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 19, 2024

Injury-riddled Grizzlies

The Grizzlies may have a roster that closely resembles a G League squad, but they have continued to surprise with their resilience and fighting spirit. Despite missing multiple key players due to injuries, such as Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart, the Grizzlies took down the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks in the last two weeks.

On the Bulls' side, the team listed Patrick Williams as questionable to play because of an ankle injury, while Andre Drummond and Ayo Dosunmu are probably to play despite their various ailments.

Alex Caruso drops a full-court DIME to Ayo Dosunmu 😱pic.twitter.com/HtvNGr33zn

— Bulls Nation (@BullsNationCP) January 19, 2024

DeMar DeRozan isn't bothered by the uncertainty surrounding the Chicago Bulls' roster