Chicago basketball report: Zach LaVine’s target return date to Bulls — and remembering departures of Christmas Eves past

The Chicago Bulls are racking up wins. Alex Caruso is stumping for Coby White to make his All-Star debut. And Zach LaVine is eyeing a return in January.

Candace Parker is adding to her own team with the announcement that the former Sky star is expecting her second child with wife, Anna Petrakova.

Every Wednesday throughout the season, Tribune writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Bulls, Sky and local basketball.

Energy shifts for Bulls amid 6-3 series

Over a small span of time, the Bulls have redefined their outlook in the Eastern Conference.

It’s not quite a streak, but the Bulls have won six of their last nine games. They haven’t lost a game by double digits since Nov. 28. And that nine-game span included wins over the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 7 teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls are still in a six-game hole with an 11-17 record. And they’re still on the bottom shelf in the East, where they stand 12th overall and 3 1/2 games back from eighth place. But the momentum built in the past three weeks is serious, reflecting broad growth from players like White — and a team-wide embrace of offensive and defensive principles that the Bulls have been trying to achieve for three seasons.

“Our energy has been different,” Nikola Vučević said. “We’re playing for each other, sharing the ball, playing at a faster pace. That has brought out the best in everybody. We’ve been enjoying playing. Each night it’s a different guy stepping up. All of us are supporting each other. You can just feel that. And when you play that way, it’s very contagious.”

Candace Parker expecting her third child

WNBA star and Chicago native Candace Parker announced that she is expecting her third child with her wife and former teammate Anna Petrakova last week.

“Mama and Mommy are switching from man-2-man to zone defense this spring,” Parker wrote on Instagram. “After four years in the game we are focused on building our roster. We know this rookie will add to our depth chart and contribute versatility to our team. The rookie will join our current roster consisting of a shooter, point forward, rebounder, and little Tikes rim attacker! The team as a whole struggles with clock management and a little bit on the defensive end.

“We are hoping the young buck will play their role, bring IQ, hustle, length, athleticism and passion to this team. There will be competition at the toddler position, but we will see how training camp plays out. We are super excited for this draft and Team Parker cannot wait to welcome this new star to our team. We love you already!”

Parker and Petrakova married in 2019, but did not formally announce their relationship until 2021 when they shared that they were expecting their first child — a son Airr who was born in February 2022.

After bringing the WNBA title home to Chicago in 2021 and setting a franchise wins record with the Sky in 2022, Parker signed with the Las Vegas Aces last season, where she won her third WNBA ring despite missing most of the season with an injury. Parker is expected to return to the Aces this season.

Alex Caruso advocates for Coby White in the 3-point competition

Caruso flipped the script on White a week after the guard advocated for Caruso to be named a 2024 All-Star.

After Monday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Caruso advocated for White to earn a spot in the 3-point competition at this year’s All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

White is a clear frontrunner for the competition. He’s currently third overall in the league for total 3-pointers with 89 on the season, trailing only Steph Curry (115) and Luka Dončić (98). After setting a franchise record for consecutive games with at least three or more at 14, White is shooting 42.4% from behind the arc — which puts him in the top 30 of the league of true 3-point shooting percentage.

Caruso made it clear he’ll keep the campaign going until White lands the spot.

“He’s trying to put me in there — we’re not doing that,” Caruso said. “He’s the show. He’s the one that’s going to be there.”

Zach LaVine still on track for a January return

Coach Billy Donovan said LaVine has not experienced any setbacks, which should place the guard in position to return to the lineup sometime in January.

LaVine has been able to lightly shoot and jog straight forward, but Donovan said the guard has not begun any exercises that involve cutting or lateral movement. Since LaVine’s injury affects the exterior of his foot along the outer metatarsal, lateral movements will be the key hurdle to clear without pain before he will be allowed to return.

Donovan also noted LaVine might need an additional ramp up period to return to game fitness — including contact drills and scrimmages with teammates — in addition to the 3-4 week recovery window that was announced Nov. 6. This could place his return any time between Dec. 27 and mid-January.

While this period has been “frustrating” for LaVine, Donovan praised his presence with teammates during his recovery.

“I think he really really misses the game,” Donovan said. “He’s been a good voice in the locker room and on the bench trying to help and support those guys. Whenever he comes back and there’s a period of time where a player is out, everybody kind of readjusts to playing together again. That’s just normal.”

In another baby announcement, LaVine posted a photo to his Instagram account on Tuesday featuring his wife, Hunter LaVine, and young son with the caption “More life, more love! #2 on the way.”

Number of week: 27.3

Over their nine-game streak of success, the Bulls are averaging 27.3 assists per game. That’s a major step up from their season average of 23.7 — and an even greater improvement from their average of 21.9 during the first 19 games.

Across those nine games, the Bulls scored 63.9% of their points on assisted plays while averaging the seventh-best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.28) in the league. This ball movement — combined with heightened 3-point shooting — is why the Bulls registered an offensive rating of 119.1 over that span, the 12th best in the league.

Week ahead: Bulls

• Wednesday: Home vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago

• Thursday: Home vs. San Antonio Spurs, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago

• Friday: Off

• Saturday: Home vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago

• Sunday: Off

• Monday: Off

• Tuesday: Home vs. Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago

What we’re reading this morning

• Zach LaVine reportedly could be interested in the Kings — or a future with the Bulls

• From Gilmore to Jordan to Winter, meet the 13 people in the Bulls’ inaugural Ring of Honor class

• Column: Will Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen attend the Bulls Ring of Honor celebration? It’s complicated.

• DeMar DeRozan says he’s committed to the Bulls amid contract negotiations: ‘I love it here. None of that has changed.’

• Chicago State stuns No. 25 Northwestern 75-73: ‘This is probably one of the biggest wins in the state of Illinois history’

• WNBA to take a monthlong break for the 2024 Olympics — and Chicago Sky’s Kahleah Copper is looking to make the team

• Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu adds layers to his game while staying true to himself: ‘You can tell he’s from Chicago by the way he plays’

• DeMar DeRozan embraces balance as a playmaker to fuel improved Bulls offense: ‘I just read whatever the game gives me’

This week in Chicago basketball

Dec. 24, 2001: Tim Floyd resigns as Bulls coach

Taking a route that surprised some who are close to him and ran contrary to a stance he reiterated three weeks earlier, Tim Floyd resigned as coach of the Bulls at a hastily called news conference at the Berto Center.

The stunning move came 3 1/2 seasons after Floyd succeeded Phil Jackson as coach and three weeks to the day after Floyd — in an attempt at unity that backfired — threatened to quit in an emotional team meeting with players.

“I think it’s in everybody’s best interests if I step away at this time,” Floyd said. “This came up fairly quickly. We’ve had a tough season. Things just didn’t work out.”

“This is a place that has an incredible amount of tradition, which forces you to try to give your best even at times where you don’t feel like being your best. It’s why I came. At the same time, it has a lot to do with why I’m stepping away.”

Floyd, the 13th coach of the Bulls franchise, was an abysmal 49-190 with the Bulls without Michael Jordan, including a 15-67 showing in the 2000-01 season.

Dec. 24, 2007: Scott Skiles fired on Christmas Eve

Scott Skiles didn’t bite when questioned about the timing of the move, which came six years to the day Tim Floyd resigned under pressure on Christmas Eve 2001. General manager John Paxson and team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf informed Skiles of their decision shortly before that day’s practice began for the 9-16 team.

Skiles already had led his assistants through a pre-practice meeting.

“The fact that it’s Christmas Eve is neither here nor there,” he said. “The timing doesn’t bother me. I’m not destitute.”

Skiles experienced success as Bulls coach and reached the playoffs in each of his three full seasons. His team registered the first playoff win since the Jordan dynasty ended in 1998, reinvigorating a franchise and fan base that had lay dormant for years.

Quotable

“A lot of Chicago guys, they’re just hounds, they’re dogs. You can tell he is from Chicago by the way he plays. He has a killer mentality.” — Coby White describing teammate Ayo Dosunmu