Bulls guard Zach Lavine's thumb injury is becoming more noticeable every game. The point production for Lavine hasn't dropped off however the efficiency is taking a hit. This season Lavine is shooting 34 percent from three. A dip from his career high 41 percent the previous season. Despite the concern over some of Lavine's offensive consistency, the brace is something Lavine says isn't going away soon.

“It’s going to be like this for a while. I’m not going to take any excuses for it. It is what it is. And you play through it.”

The point production has not gone away from the all-star however Lavine is adamant about playing through the injury. The Bulls are winning currently so it will be interesting to see how long this lasts.

“Just gotta figure out how to play through it. I’ll figure it out. The biggest thing is go out there and try not to think about it."

The Role Players

The injury to Lavine's thumb can't be understated at this point. The team has significantly better depth this season however with Patrick Williams already out, the season could reach a tipping point. Players like Demar DeRozan have stepped up with back to back 37 point perfomances against Philadelphia and Boston. This is why players like him were brough in, in case Lavine was unable to go for whatever reason.

Nikola Vucevic also has a hand in the Bulls hot start. He's currently averaging a double-double with 13.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per game. The ball movement has been up to par as well. Vucevic had a near triple double against Boston coming up just shy with nine assists.

The Bulls In The Standings

As it currently stands the Bulls are 6-2 and third in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bulls are off to their best start in nearly a decade. Lavine staying healthy is going to be key in order to keep pace with teams like Miami, Milwaukee and Brooklyn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rg7V-zt-3I The Eastern conference won't be getting any easier either. Teams such as Atlanta, New York and even Charlotte are showing promise in the back half of the Eastern Conference. So long as Lavine is able to maintain his health, the Bulls will always be in the mix.