On November 12, Beijing time, K.C Johnson of the Chicago Sports Channel of the National Broadcasting Corporation first reported that Vucevic was listed in the NBA's health and safety agreement, and he would be absent for 10 days due to a positive test for the new crown virus, unless he returned two negative tests within 24 hours. The Chicago Bulls are about to embark on a tough West Coast road trip, but their All-Star Nikola Vucevic will be absent.
NBC Chicago Sports reported last week that the Bulls have been fully vaccinated. Vucevic has defended Joel Embiid in two games, and it is worth mentioning that Joel Embiid tested positive for COVID-19 after the second meeting. After two showdowns with Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid last week, it's likely that Vucevic approached Joel Embiid from them.
A 10-day absence means Vucevic will miss the entire five road trips, including games against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets. It's a Devils schedule, so Vucevic missing all of these games was a brutal blow to the Bulls, who already had no starting big forward Patrick Williams this season.
Vucevic had a tough start to the 2021-2022 season, averaging 13.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists as the team's starting center. But he performed well in his win over the Dallas Mavericks and was one of the few Bulls with a reasonable size. Tony Bradley could fill a temporary vacancy as a substitute center, but it was difficult to play Vucevic's role, while the rest of the squad was rather small. How Billy Donovan completed this road trip without a starting center, let's wait and see.
The good news for the Bulls is that they're 8-3 in this young season, so if they struggle with this road trip, there's some cushioning here. Considering the current squad (Kobe White is also out, but he may play again), winning two games will be seen as a positive factor. It will take the team's efforts to compensate for the impact of these key absences on the team.