Chicago Bulls' injury update on Zach LaVine for Friday's game vs. Washington Wizards

The Bulls are forced to wait another day for LaVine’s season debut.

© Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports

The Bulls announced today that Zach LaVine would miss Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. This is the second straight game that the All-Star wingman will miss after head coach Billy Donovan reported that LaVine was dealing with left knee soreness.

Cautious approach

For the second game in a row, the Chicago Bulls will go to battle with LaVine on the sidelines. Surprisingly, the high-flyer was deemed unavailable for Wednesday's season-opener against the Miami Heat since he spoke about feeling strong and healthy after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during the offseason.

"The main thing is I'm healthy and I feel really good and I'm getting to know the new offense and new team. Not having any aches and pains and being able to play without any limitations in my own mind is huge," said LaVine last week.

Donovan sheds light on the matter

Donovan sang a different tune regarding LaVine's condition, saying the wingman experienced some knee discomfort in the season's build-up. LaVine could not participate in five-on-five scrimmages during the offseason, using that time to strengthen his troublesome knee. This coupled with the Bull's loaded schedule early in the season, might have factored into the team's decision not to push him.

"We've got seven games in 11 days. How do we get him back feeling good again? It's not a long-term thing where he's out for weeks or he re-injured his knee and there's a problem there. I would imagine that when he said he was feeling good, he was probably maybe talking about that day. I think he was. There's been times he feels terrific," shared Donovan.

LaVine is expected to suit up during the Bulls' home opener on Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is excellent news as it gives Chicago another potent weapon on the offensive end to pair with All-Stars Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan.

Vooch has 12 rebounds already tonight and just passed Chris Webber for 45th all-time in DREB in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/s6TrSgHmk4

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 20, 2022