LaVine scored 20 points in his return game but lost to the Bucks.
On January 4th, the Kings lost to the Bucks, falling to 8 wins and 28 losses. Their eight wins are still the second-worst record behind the Pacers, who are at the bottom of the league. Although they have only advanced to the playoffs once in the last 20 years, they have had a winning percentage close to .500 in most seasons. But now they have a winning percentage of 22%, making it one of the worst seasons in club history.
A year ago, it was a big blow when they had to release De’Aaron Fox, who was the face of the team, in response to a trade request. Since then, no effective reinforcements have been made, leaving the team with injured veterans and young players lacking motivation.
Zach LaVine, one of the “injured veterans,” returned from an ankle injury in this game against the Bucks. It was his first actual game in three weeks, and he started on the bench, something he has rarely done in his career, but he showed no signs of being affected by the injury, and his playing time increased to 36 minutes, making it a successful return game with 20 points, including two successful 3-point shots.
“I didn’t set a schedule for my return and was waiting for my ankle to be in perfect condition. I’ve been shooting at game venues for the past week or so, so I felt like I was close to returning. I’m tired from playing for the first time in a while, but there’s nothing wrong with my ankle. It’s just that my whole body is feeling tired because it’s been a while since I ran full court at the intensity of a game.”
Domantas Sabonis is out for an extended period with a knee injury. Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis were injured to replace LaVine’s return. “It’s the worst situation when a team is constantly dealing with injuries,” LaVine said. “That’s part of basketball, but having to change lineups every game is not a desirable situation.”
“However, this is our reality, and everyone has no choice but to do their best to help the team. Right now, we’re just trying to find something that works and improve it. I’m also feeling frustrated while playing or just watching the game. It’s hard to narrow down the team’s problems to one thing. I’m going to be persistent and try to change the situation.”
On the other hand, with the trade deadline just a month away, there will be a lot of noise surrounding LaVine. He is in the fourth year of a five-year, 215 million yen (approximately 32 billion yen) contract he signed while with the Bulls, with a player option for the final year. The Kings are likely to opt for a trade rather than a contract extension, and the Bucks, the team’s opponent today, are one of LaVine’s possible destinations.
At the press conference, there were questions about transfers, but LaVine, who is used to this kind of topic, calmly answered as follows. “There are rumors of trades with many teams, not just the Bucks. It’s your job to create various stories and make them exciting, so you can write them as you like. I’m not concerned about it.”
