Zach LaVine had his Monday afternoon mapped out.
Ice the knee, nap, ice the knee again.
The hope for the Bulls guard is he has some miracle turnaround heading into Tuesday, so he’ll have a crack at facing off against LeBron James and the Lakers.
“You like playing against those dudes because it’s competition, especially [James’] probably the best player of our generation,’’ LaVine said. “As competitive people, you like going at him.
“That’s why I’ll try to get some ice on my knee and see how I feel.’’
It could all be an exercise in futility.
LaVine is already listed as doubtful in taking on James, still hampered with that right patellar strain in his knee that forced him to miss his eighth game of the season on Sunday.
But he also might be missing taking on the likes of Bradley Beal, Kawhi Leonard, and go right down the line of notable players left on the Bulls schedule over the final 14 regular-season games.
While coach Jim Boylen wouldn’t come out and say it is a likely scenario, there is real possibility that the organization decides to simply shut LaVine down for the remainder of the season.
“We have not had that discussion about the rest of the season,’’ Boylen said. “I think what we’re hoping for is every day he responds and gets a little better. It’s not the situation or the time of the year to push a guy to try and get a certain seed or home-court. That’s as simply as I can put it. It’s not the time … we have to understand that. I think you know my personality, I want to win every game and play our ass off every game, and do that, but we’ve got to be smart too.’’
Boylen was then asked how hard that balance is for him, specifically weighing LaVine’s future with winning games and developing, and said he was “struggling with it.’’
“It’s hard,’’ Boylen said. “When I make it an individual thing with each guy for his growth, his development, his future, it helps me. But for the team you want everybody on board, you want everybody to get better, you want to grow as a group, you want to learn together, you want to play in meaningful games, you want to be in one-point situations to get better and grow, so it’s hard. It’s really hard.’’
Not that it’s easy for the 6-foot-5 LaVine, either.
He was playing some of his best basketball of the season in February, averaging 24.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists throughout that month, and then came into March with even more confidence, averaging 29.8 points in his first five games.
But even LaVine knows with where the Bulls stand, as well as how well he’s played the second half, playing injured might not have a good ending.
“Oh yeah,’’ LaVine said, when asked if he was frustrated with the timing of the knee flaring up. “I want to be out there regardless. But there’s no reason to go out there and try to risk anything right now. It’s not smart.’’
What is smart for the Bulls?
Even if LaVine’s knee improves and he is able to return, why?
The Bulls are pretty much locked into the fourth-worst record right now, but there’s always the chance it could still change as far as draft lottery position, especially with two games left against New York, two against Washington, and one game in Phoenix.
Both Cleveland and Phoenix have gone 5-5 their last 10 games, so everything is still in play.
Maybe just not LaVine.
