While LaVine and others return from protocols, Bulls add two new players
Back on the basketball court after a second stint in isolation, Zach LaVine thought about the Bulls having 12 players who have passed through health and safety protocols.
"We got a little extra break," LaVine said Thursday at the Advocate Center. "Hopefully we have herd immunity coming back."
According to Bulls coach Billy Donovan, every player on the team is now out of protocols, including guard Devon Dotson, who entered on Tuesday, but tested out quickly.
At the same time, the Bulls followed through on plans to sign veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova and rookie guard Mac McClung to 10-day contracts using the league's hardship roster exception. Donovan said Ilyasova and McClung would have been available to play Wednesday against Toronto, had the game not been canceled due to the Raptors having eight players in protocols. Ilyasova, 34, played three games for Donovan in Oklahoma City during the 2016-17 season.
Donovan said every player participated in Thursday's practice except for the injured Alex Caruso (left foot sprain) and Derrick Jones Jr. (sore left hamstring).
"Lot of guys out here now," Donovan said. "It went from the Lakers game, we had like eight guys. I'm looking around, 'Is everybody here?' Now we've got quite a few. We'll get it all worked out. (Bulls execs) Arturas (Karnisovas) and Marc (Eversley) have done a great job helping us fill the roster."
The Bulls were going through their usual morning shootaround at the Advocate Center on Wednesday when they got word the Raptors game was postponed. Donovan said the player who just got out of protocols - LaVine, Alize Johnson, Ayo Dosunmu and Matt Thomas - participated in the shootaround, but would not have played against Toronto, due to a lack of conditioning.
"You're shifting from a shootaround where you're talking about Toronto to, 'OK, let's practice, let's get some work done,'" Donovan said. "They did a really great job I thought of shifting to trying to get some work in practice-wise."
LaVine went through health and safety protocols late last season and missed 11 games. This time, he'll only miss two.
"Last year I was sick," LaVine said. "I was out like 20 days. This time, I was asymptomatic and really was able to just work out, get my body some rest and then just try to keep myself sane by watching (game) film, watching Netflix, watching movies and working out.
"What was easier about (the second time) is I knew what to expect and I actually didn't have any symptoms, so that helped. Just the isolation stinks. I'm away from my wife and my family. I got out of my house just to keep her safe, so I was at a hotel, playing video games and watching Netflix every day."
In some ways, the Bulls came out of this situation reasonably well. While the omicron virus continues to spread around the NBA, the Bulls have had 12 players go through protocols, got some time off, a few extra practices and even went 5-2 in the games they did play since the outbreak began on Dec. 1.
LaVine had praise for teammate DeMar DeRozan, who scored 38 points overall and 19 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Lakers.
This stretch left both LaVine and DeRozan feeling glad they will have each other to lean on when the schedule resumes Sunday against Indiana.
"He says he doesn't want to do that all the time," LaVine said. "I felt the same way. I called him after that Miami game, I said, 'Look, I've gone through this before, I don't want to do this (again)."
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports