In the Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls, the three players to watch for tonight

The Los Angeles Lakers have lost two games in a row, tonight the team will be starting a road trip, but the good news is that they are recovering most of their roster, especially Gabe Vincent who has been out for around two months.

Vincent is one of the three players the fans should be looking after in tonight's match against the Chicago Bulls. Vincent struggled to find a shooting rhythm in his small sample size of games to start, but showed his all-around value with strong point-of-attack defense from the point guard spot that’s otherwise lacking on the roster. His return will provide another element on both ends of the floor, and let the Lakers get closer to really figuring out what they have.

The second player to watch for in tonight's game is Vanderbilt who returned from a left heel injury suffered on Oct. 7 in the preseason opener on Dec. 2, playing 14 minutes at Houston. The most he’s played since then is 17 minutes at San Antonio on Dec. 13, and he’s attempted only 11 total shots, toward five points, focusing more on the defensive end of the court, and the glass (4.2 boards in 14.3 minutes).

The third player to watch for is Austin Reaves. After a slow start to the 2023-24 season coming off a terrific playoff run and impressive performance for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup over the summer, Austin Reaves is looking more like… Austin Reaves.

The Chicago Bulls don't have one of their best stars

The last time Bulls wing Zach LaVine played was Nov. 28 against Boston, a 124-97 loss, after which LaVine was put on the shelf for at least a month, as he tried to rehabilitate a foot injury. Chicago was 5-14 at the time, struggling on both ends of the floor. The Bulls ranked 25th in net rating, including 22nd on defense and 26th on offense.