Report: Zach Lavine Expected to Miss Several Game Due to Health & Safety Protocols

With the Chicago Bulls continuing to falter, the Toronto Raptors remain very much alive in the Eastern Conference play-in conversation

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Just when things seemingly couldn't get any worse for the Chicago Bulls who have lost four straight games and cling desperately to the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, the team has reportedly taken another massive loss.

Bulls star Zach Lavine will reportedly miss several games as he enters the NBA's health and safety protocols, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Chicago Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine is expected to miss several games after entering into the league's health and safety protocol, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2021

This could be disastrous news for the Bulls who have been unable to get things going since acquiring Nikola Vucevic at last month's NBA trade deadline. It does, however, open the door for the Toronto Raptors to sneak into the play-in picture.

Despite all of Toronto's losing this season, the Raptors are just one game behind the Bulls for that final play-in spot. While Chicago does hold the tiebreaker for the season, LaVine's COVID-19 troubles could lead to a serious Bulls slide.

So far, it's looked like the Raptors organizationally aren't particularly interested in grabbing that final play-in spot and trying to sneak into the playoffs to meet the Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. They don't appear to be in a rush to get their players back and healthy and they made sure to rest their starters periodically over their rest stretch of games.

Tanking is still in the cards for Toronto who has the fifth toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, but with LaVine expected to miss some time and the Bulls already struggling, a chance to make the playoffs is still very possible for Toronto

Further Reading

Raptors frontcourt of the future begins to take shape as Chris Boucher shifts to power forward

OG Anunoby is no longer as 'stiff as a cardboard box'

Pascal Siakam continues to show improved playmaking as he builds back to star status