Zach LaVine's rehabilitation from February left ACL surgery has produced consistent themes.
LaVine, as he reiterated Monday, is feeling great. He's ahead of schedule and pushing at every opportunity to move up the nine-month timeline to be cleared for contact.
And the centerpiece of the Bulls' rebuild understands why doctors and the Bulls aren't budging on that timeline.
"I should be doing contact really soon. It all depends on them," LaVine said, addressing reporters for the first time since the Sept. 25 Media Day. "I'm pushing them as hard as I can. But at the end of the day, we still gotta be careful.
"I feel great. I'm going everything I was doing before. I'm pretty sure I can do contact. But we've got to stick to that schedule."
Underscoring how close that schedule is, coach Fred Hoiberg said LaVine will be cleared for minor contact "probably in the next two weeks" and full contact in "probably three weeks." That's almost exactly nine months after LaVine's Feb. 14 surgery to repair the ligament, which he tore while playing for the Timberwolves on Feb. 3.
LaVine's testing points for jumping, speed and strength are near or better than when he tested at the NBA predraft camp in 2014. Between that and being the freshly minted face of the franchise, one can understand why the gregarious guard is eager to return.
"I don't like missing games," LaVine said. "Before the injury, I think I missed one or two in my career. So it really sucks just sitting there, not being able to help. I try to help as much as I can from the sideline, give a little advice here or there. But yeah, it hurts."
LaVine, who missed five games his rookie season and none his second, is fully engaged in practice. He participates in 5-on-0 situations, watches during contact drills and scrimmages and even traveled for the one-game trip to Toronto for workouts, a rarity.
The career 13.7-points-per-game scorer likes what he sees.
"With the team that we have and the system that coach put in, we're going to get up a lot of threes," he said. "When we're on, we're going to blow some teams out with those threes. When we're off, as the last couple games have shown, it's going to be a struggle to score sometimes. But I think that's where I can come in and help."
Hoiberg agrees.
"He's going to fit great into what we're doing as far as coming off of some live ball screen actions," Hoiberg said. "He's one of the fastest guys in the league. His explosiveness, he's already gotten that back. And his ability to shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor puts another floor-spacer out there that you can do a lot with. So he does make our team a lot better."
Ultimately, that will cost the Bulls, which they knew when they traded Jimmy Butler for him, Kris Dunn and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen. Though the deadline to extend LaVine's rookie contract passed on Oct. 16, the Bulls, barring unexpected injury issues, will re-sign or match any offers he receives in restricted free agency.
"I think it's fine," LaVine said of no new deal by the deadline. "Obviously, I want to be here for a long time. And I feel the deal is going to get done _ either then or next summer. I don't have any fear in that. I think I know I'll be in black and red for a little bit longer."
Indeed, rather than setting a high number on a new guaranteed deal now, LaVine's cap hold of $9.6 million can help the Bulls have more flexibility next summer. Until then, LaVine vows to keep playing the same way he did pre-injury.
"I can still jump. I can still get up, take contact through the hoop," he said. "I'm going to play the same way."
