Chicago Sports

The Bears apparently are benching rookie wide receiver and return man Velus Jones today against the Dolphins.

Jones is inactive despite not appearing on the injury report this week. He had two runs for 33 yards and one catch for five yards against the Cowboys last week.

After a turbulent week in which they traded away linebacker Roquan Smith and acquired wide receiver Chase Claypool, the Bears have a challenging home game against the Dolphins today.

Claypool is active and will make his team debut, though Bears coaches have cautioned that his handle on the playbook is limited after arriving Wednesday morning. Wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said Claypool will have a specific list of plays, and depending on how often the Bears call those, he could play 10-30 snaps.

Here are the Bears’ inactives:

WR Velus JonesOL Alex LeatherwoodOL Ja’Tyre CarterTE Jake TongesDB Lamar Jackson

The Bears started 2-1 but have dropped four of their last five games. They’re coming off a 49-29 blowout loss to the Cowboys.

Quarterback Justin Fields is on the best four-game run of his career. During that span, he has completed 64.1% of his passes, posted a 97.6 passer rating and put up a combined 251.3 yards passing and rushing per game.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are fighting for a playoff spot at 5-3 and traded for pass rusher Bradley Chubb and running back Jeff Wilson to improve their chances. They had narrow victories over the Steelers and Lions the last two weeks.

After this game, the schedule lightens up for the Bears with a Week 10 home game against the Lions (1-6) and Falcons (4-4).

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Class 8ASecond Round

(1) Lincoln-Way East 17, (17) Neuqua Valley 14

(8) Warren 41, (24) Andrew 7

(13) Maine South 42, (4) South Elgin 0

(5) Glenbard West 42, (12) Glenbrook South 0

(2) York 27, (18) Marist 21 (2OT)

(7) Palatine 47, (23) Minooka 14

(14) Lyons 24, (3) Plainfield North 13

(6) Loyola 49, (22) Edwardsville 21

Class 7ASecond Round

(1) Mount Carmel 24, (17) Downers Grove North 6

(24) Brother Rice 44, (8) Collinsville 15

(4) St. Charles North 25, (20) Hoffman Estates 9

(12) St. Rita 38, (5) Prospect 21

(18) Batavia 19, (2) Hersey 13 (2OT)

(7) Yorkville 34, (10) Moline 31 (4OT)

(3) Pekin 32, (19) Normal 31

(11) Lake Zurich 14, (6) Wheaton North 6

Class 6ASecond Round

(8) Notre Dame 17, (1) Wauconda 8

(4) St. Ignatius 49, (12) Grayslake Central 13

(2) Prairie Ridge 57, (7) Kaneland 22

(11) Harlem 24, (3) Grayslake North 20

(1) Lemont 38, (9) Quincy 24

(13) Kenwood 36, (5) Bremen 6

(7) Crete-Monee 35, (2) Simeon 12

(6) East St. Louis 40, (3) Normal West 0

Class 5ASecond Round

(1) Sycamore 43, (9) Carmel 0

(5) Sterling 50, (4) Goode 8

(2) Morgan Park 28, (7) Payton 0

(11) Nazareth 38, (3) Boylan 13

(1) Mahomet-Seymour 44, (8) Metamora 28

(4) Morris 56, (12) Centralia 0

(7) Mascoutah 49, (2) Highland 42

(3) Peoria 48, (6) Kankakee 21

Class 4ASecond Round

(1) Richmond-Burton 54, (8) UP-Bronzeville 6

(13) Providence 24, (5) Joliet Catholic 14

(7) Rochelle 34, (15) Johnsburg 22

(3) St. Francis 42, (6) Evergreen Park 0

(1) Carterville 22, (8) Coal City 0

(4) Rochester 42, (5) Breese Central 0

(2) Sacred Heart-Griffin 28, (10) Waterloo 16

(6) Murphysboro 20, (3) Macomb 16

Class 3ASecond Round

(1) Princeton 26, (8) Genoa-Kingston 2

(4) IC Catholic 42, (5) Stillman Valley 14

(2) Reed-Custer 24, (7) Pecatonica 6

(6) Byron 56, (3) Seneca 21

(1) Prairie Central 41, (9) Roxana 20

(4) Tolono Unity 35, (5) Mt. Carmel, Ill. 14

(15) Olympia 60, (7) St. Joseph-Ogden 28

(3) Williamsville 18, (6) Eureka 16

Class 2ASecond Round

(1) Maroa-Forsyth 42, (8) Farmington 12

(4) Rockridge 27, (12) Bloomington Central 18

(7) Knoxville 48, (2) Bismarck-Henning 29

(6) Tri-Valley 28, (3) Wilmington 21

(1) St. Teresa 59, (9) Athens 33

(4) Pana 68, (12) Fairfield 50

(2) Johnston City 28, (10) Arthur-Lovington 8

(14) Althoff 26, (6) Red Bud 14

Class 1ASecond Round

(1) Lena-Winslow 76, (8) Oneida 7

(4) Fulton 28, (12) Rockford Lutheran 0

(10) Forreston 44, (2) Hope Academy 16

(11) Dakota 30, (3) Ottawa Marquette 19

(1) Ridgeview-Lexington 56, (9) Salt Fork 20

(4) Tuscola 29, (5) Routt 26

(2) Camp Point Central 24, (7) Sesser-Valier 0

(3) Greenfield-Northwestern 26, (6) Cumberland 0

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Class 8ASecond Round

(1) Lincoln-Way East 17, (17) Neuqua Valley 14

(8) Warren 41, (24) Andrew 7

(13) Maine South 42, (4) South Elgin 0

(5) Glenbard West 42, (12) Glenbrook South 0

(2) York 27, (18) Marist 21 (2OT)

(7) Palatine 47, (23) Minooka 14

(14) Lyons 24, (3) Plainfield North 13

(6) Loyola 49, (22) Edwardsville 21

Class 7ASecond Round

(1) Mount Carmel 24, (17) Downers Grove North 6

(24) Brother Rice 44, (8) Collinsville 15

(4) St. Charles North 25, (20) Hoffman Estates 9

(12) St. Rita 38, (5) Prospect 21

(18) Batavia 19, (2) Hersey 13 (2OT)

(7) Yorkville 34, (10) Moline 31 (4OT)

(3) Pekin 32, (19) Normal 31

(11) Lake Zurich 14, (6) Wheaton North 6

Class 6ASecond Round

(8) Notre Dame 17, (1) Wauconda 8

(4) St. Ignatius 49, (12) Grayslake Central 13

(2) Prairie Ridge 57, (7) Kaneland 22

(11) Harlem 24, (3) Grayslake North 20

(1) Lemont 38, (9) Quincy 24

(13) Kenwood 36, (5) Bremen 6

(7) Crete-Monee 35, (2) Simeon 12

(6) East St. Louis 40, (3) Normal West 0

Class 5ASecond Round

(1) Sycamore 43, (9) Carmel 0

(5) Sterling 50, (4) Goode 8

(2) Morgan Park 28, (7) Payton 0

(11) Nazareth 38, (3) Boylan 13

(1) Mahomet-Seymour 44, (8) Metamora 28

(4) Morris 56, (12) Centralia 0

(7) Mascoutah 49, (2) Highland 42

(3) Peoria 48, (6) Kankakee 21

Class 4ASecond Round

(1) Richmond-Burton 54, (8) UP-Bronzeville 6

(13) Providence 24, (5) Joliet Catholic 14

(7) Rochelle 34, (15) Johnsburg 22

(3) St. Francis 42, (6) Evergreen Park 0

(1) Carterville 22, (8) Coal City 0

(4) Rochester 42, (5) Breese Central 0

(2) Sacred Heart-Griffin 28, (10) Waterloo 16

(6) Murphysboro 20, (3) Macomb 16

Class 3ASecond Round

(1) Princeton 26, (8) Genoa-Kingston 2

(4) IC Catholic 42, (5) Stillman Valley 14

(2) Reed-Custer 24, (7) Pecatonica 6

(6) Byron 56, (3) Seneca 21

(1) Prairie Central 41, (9) Roxana 20

(4) Tolono Unity 35, (5) Mt. Carmel, Ill. 14

(15) Olympia 60, (7) St. Joseph-Ogden 28

(3) Williamsville 18, (6) Eureka 16

Class 2ASecond Round

(1) Maroa-Forsyth 42, (8) Farmington 12

(4) Rockridge 27, (12) Bloomington Central 18

(7) Knoxville 48, (2) Bismarck-Henning 29

(6) Tri-Valley 28, (3) Wilmington 21

(1) St. Teresa 59, (9) Athens 33

(4) Pana 68, (12) Fairfield 50

(2) Johnston City 28, (10) Arthur-Lovington 8

(14) Althoff 26, (6) Red Bud 14

Class 1ASecond Round

(1) Lena-Winslow 76, (8) Oneida 7

(4) Fulton 28, (12) Rockford Lutheran 0

(10) Forreston 44, (2) Hope Academy 16

(11) Dakota 30, (3) Ottawa Marquette 19

(1) Ridgeview-Lexington 56, (9) Salt Fork 20

(4) Tuscola 29, (5) Routt 26

(2) Camp Point Central 24, (7) Sesser-Valier 0

(3) Greenfield-Northwestern 26, (6) Cumberland 0

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Entering the season, it seemed inevitable that the Blackhawks’ attendance at the United Center would drop significantly.

Declaring a full-scale rebuild, not to mention trading away many of their most popular players, isn’t a recipe for attracting large crowds, and Hawks management realized that. Revamped season-ticket memberships and price reductions on most seats could do only so much to counteract a lack of interest in the on-ice product.

But it was unclear exactly how much attendance would drop. Now, two weeks and seven games into the Hawks’ home schedule, that question mostly has been answered.

The Hawks are drawing their smallest crowds since 2007-08. The crowds are substantially smaller than they were even during the first half of last season, but they’re not quite as small as they were from 2003 to 2007.

The Hawks announced attendances of 18,753 against the Red Wings (the home opener); 14,892 against the Kraken; 12,859 against the Panthers; 13,685 against the Oilers; 14,149 against the Wild; 12,523 against the Islanders; and 16,658 against the Kings.

That’s an average of 14,788, which was 27th in the NHL — ahead of only the Jets, Sharks, Sabres, Devils and Coyotes — entering play Saturday. That’s down from 18,490 last season and from more than 21,000 — more than the United Center’s official seating capacity of 19,717 — each of the previous 12 seasons.

Five of the Hawks’ seven crowds so far have been smaller than their smallest last season (15,946 on Nov. 1, 2021, against the Senators). The game against the Islanders drew the Hawks’ lowest attendance since 12,444 on Dec. 5, 2007, against the Canucks.

But the attendance numbers aren’t approaching record-setting lows. The Hawks’ worst attendance in a season in recent history was 2006-07, when they averaged 12,727 fans. That ended a long run of season averages below 15,000. They drew fewer than 12,000 fans to 18 games that season and fewer than 10,000 to three games.

In 2007-08 — during which the Hawks’ bright future came into focus — they averaged 13,604 fans through their first 19 home games (including six games of fewer than 12,000 and one of fewer than 10,000) but 19,586 in their final 22.

The Hawks might manage not to dip below 12,000 this season. They anticipate a stretch of better crowds starting Nov. 20 against the Penguins — Marian Hossa’s jersey retirement night — and continuing through the holidays. Attendance figures generally improve leaguewide after football season ends, which also should help.

Ex-Hawk updates

Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome, motivated by not receiving qualifying offers from the Hawks this past summer, are thriving with the Red Wings and Capitals, respectively.

Entering play Saturday, Kubalik’s 12 points in 10 games trailed only Dylan Larkin for the Red Wings’ scoring lead, and Strome’s nine points in 12 games trailed only Alex Ovechkin for the Capitals’ lead.

Alex DeBrincat entered Saturday with nine points in 10 games for the Senators, although his 4.3% shooting percentage was well below his career average. Kirby Dach had seven points in 11 games for the Canadiens, putting him on pace for a career-best season.

The Lightning’s Brandon Hagel entered Saturday sporting the same stat line as Dach. After a slow start, Marc-Andre Fleury was named the NHL’s third star last week and entered Saturday with a 5-2-1 record and .888 save percentage for the Wild.

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Warren has had an odd season. There were two major moments: a win at Maine South and a loss at home to Lake Zurich.

The rest of the regular season consisted of seven blowout wins, which isn’t the best preparation for a long playoff run. The Blue Devils survived and advanced against Stevenson in the first round last week.

There was no messing around on Saturday in Tinley Park. The Blue Devils dominated from start to finish, beating Andrew 41-7 in a Class 8A second-round game.

“This is the best we’ve been all season,” Warren running back Charley Thompson said. “We are probably playing at our high point now. We had a bit of a lull in the middle of the year and since then everyone has connected and we are at the same level.”

Thompson had a monster game with 21 carries for 215 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior Cassius Callahan opened the second half with a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown to put the Blue Devils ahead 27-0.

“In retrospect that Lake Zurich loss was probably the best thing that happened to us,” Warren coach Bryan McNulty said. “We’ve been ascending since that point.”

Warren quarterback Adam Behrens completed four passes for 60 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass to Taylen Curry.

Andrew’s score came on a one-yard touchdown run by Mike Barberi. The Thunderbolts (7-4) had one of their best seasons in recent history, winning a playoff game for the first time in 11 years.

Next up for Warren is a trip to Frankfort to face undefeated Lincoln-Way East in the quarterfinals.

“It’s going to be a heavyweight battle,” McNulty said. “We watched them play last night. They are good.

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Some quarterbacks put up bigger numbers than York’s Matt Vezza, but few make as many big plays.

With his feet and his arm, Vezza delivered Saturday afternoon as the No. 4 Dukes got past No. 10 Marist 27-21 in double overtime in Class 8A second-round action in Chicago.

Vezza ran 25 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning TD on the Dukes’ first offensive play in the second OT. He also was 9-of-14 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown with one interception.

One of the senior’s biggest plays didn’t make the stat sheet. The possession after Vezza found Luke Mallander for a 37-yard touchdown catch, York was pinned back at its own 3-yard line. Marist linebacker Duke White broke through the line and almost sacked Vezza in the end zone. But he avoided the safety and went down at the 1, saving what turned out to be two important points.

On the next play, Vezza found tight end Anthony Mancini for 38 yards and the Dukes were out of harm’s way.

“We put that [play] in later in the week,” Vezza said. “Anthony Mancini, he was ready for that one. Great catch, great run after the catch.”

Then in the second quarter, Vezza had a great run of his own: a 65-yarder that set up Kelly Watson’s 19-yard TD run on the next play for a 14-0 York lead.

Vezza was admittedly a little gassed at the end of his long run.

“It’s kind of a joke [on the team],” he said. “I’m really good through 40 yards and then I lose it.”

Marist tied the score at 14 with 4:35 left in the fourth quarter on Dermot Smyth’s 15-yard TD pass to Iowa recruit John Nestor. The Dukes were driving at the end of regulation, but Marist’s Jake Stefanos picked off Vezza on the last play of the fourth quarter. In overtime, there wasn’t much doubt whom York would pin its hopes on.

“He’s a warrior,” York coach Mike Fitzgerald said of Vezza. “You got a guy like that, you like your chances.”

Vezza scored from four yards out and Marist quarterback Dermot Smyth had a three-yard TD run on fourth down in the first OT. Marist lined up for a field goal on fourth down from the 3-yard line in the second overtime, but York’s Evan Grazzini and Matt Sutter weren’t fooled and dragged down kicker Kamil Kokot shy of the goal line. Vezza scored from 10 yards out on the next play for the game-winner.

“Going back, I would do the same thing,” Marist coach Ron Dawczak said. “Our kicker … is one of the fastest guys on the team. With the wind whipping as hard as it was, that’s not a guaranteed field goal anyways. So if I was gonna go out, I wanted to make sure I’d go out being aggressive. … They made a great play to stop it.”

Smyth, who moved to receiver last season to help the team before returning to quarterback as a senior, was almost the whole offense for Marist. He was 15-of-26 passing for 152 yards and two TDs with an interception and ran 21 times for 81 yards.

Meanwhile, York and Vezza go on to the quarterfinals. They’ll host Palatine next week, seeking to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2006 and the second time in program history.

“He’s a special kid,” Fitzgerald said of Vezza. “It’s a shame that no one’s offered the kid. That kid’s a winner, he runs a 4.48 40 at these camps. He has all the measurables, so hopefully people are starting to take notice.”

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1. Mount Carmel (11-0)

7A: Won 24-6 at Downers Grove North

2. Loyola (10-1)

8A: Won 49-21 at Edwardsville

3. Lincoln-Way East (11-0)

8A: Won 17-14 at Neuqua Valley

4. York (11-0)

8A: Won 27-21 (2OT) at No. 10 Marist

5. Simeon (10-1)

6A: Lost 35-12 vs. No. 14 Crete-Monee

6. Glenbard West (10-1)

8A: Won 42-0 vs. No. 22 Glenbrook South

7. Hersey (10-1)

7A: Lost 19-13 (2OT) at No. 18 Batavia

8. Lemont (11-0)

6A: Won 38-24 at Quincy

9. Prospect (9-2)

7A: Lost 38-21 vs. No. 11 St. Rita

10. Marist (8-3)

8A: Lost 27-21 (2OT) vs. No. 4 York

11. St. Rita (9-2)

7A: Won 38-21 at No. 9 Prospect

12. Warren (9-1)

8A: at Andrew

13. Maine South (9-2)

8A: Won 42-0 at No. 24 South Elgin

14. Crete-Monee (9-2)

6A: Won 35-12 at No. 5 Simeon

15. Prairie Ridge (10-1)

6A: Won 57-22 vs. Kaneland

16. St. Charles North (10-1)

7A: Won 25-9 at Hoffman Estates

17. Wheaton North (9-1)

7A: vs. No. 19 Lake Zurich

18. Batavia (8-3)

7A: Won 19-13 (2OT) vs. No. 7 Hersey

19. Lake Zurich (9-1)

7A: at No. 17 Wheaton North

20. Brother Rice (6-4)

7A: vs. Collinsville

21. Plainfield North (10-1)

8A: Lost 24-13 vs. Lyons

22. Glenbrook South (9-2)

8A: Lost 42-0 at No. 6 Glenbard West

23. Sycamore (11-0)

5A: Won 43-0 at Carmel

24. South Elgin (10-1)

8A: Lost 42-0 vs. No. 13 Maine South

25. IC Catholic (10-1)

3A: Won 42-14 vs. Stillman Valley

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Something about November in Winnipeg stumps the Blackhawks.

The Jets shut out the Hawks 4-0 on Saturday, one year to the day after a lopsided 5-1 Jets home win over the Hawks cost then-coach Jeremy Colliton his job.

This loss won’t be nearly as consequential as last year’s was. It marked just the Hawks’ seventh defeat in 12 games, after all, compared to 11 in their first 12 games last season. And it was the Hawks’ first noncompetitive game since the season opener, stopping a streak of 10 straight nail-biters that demonstrated the effectiveness of new coach Luke Richardson’s systems.

But make no mistake, it was an ugly afternoon for the Hawks.

Three power-play goals and a “deflating” shorthanded goal by the Jets blew what was a goalless game halfway through into a rout. Scoring chances favored the hosts 22-2 in the third period and 42-16 overall.

“They’re a good team and they really have mobility on the back end at the blue line,” Richardson told reporters in Winnipeg. “The second half of the game, when they started taking it to us…we just started chasing tails in our defensive zone. You’re not going to get a good result after that.”

The Hawks’ special-teams units, both bright spots during the season’s first few weeks, have begun showing cracks. The penalty kill has now conceded nine goals on 22 chances over the last six games and missed some important assignments Saturday. On the Jets’ third goal, for example, Jonathan Toews drifted too high after a faceoff loss and allowed a cross-seam pass from Kyle Connor to Pierre-Luc Dubois to connect.

Richardson attributed those special-teams struggles partially to a lack of practice time during this grueling stretch in the schedule, which mercifully ended Saturday. The Hawks will enjoy four days off before visiting the Kings on Thursday.

The Hawks’ troubles covering opposing players in transition — often due to what Richardson has described as “over-backchecking” — also re-emerged. The team had focused heavily on that in recent video sessions and saw improvement the last two games. On Saturday, that trend reversed. The Jets found plenty of room on counterattacks and scored their fourth goal during such a sequence, when Jujhar Khaira left Nate Schmidt wide-open on the weak side of a rush.

The most concerning takeaway from Saturday moving forward, however, pertains to a now-familiar topic: Goaltender injuries.

Arvid Soderblom (21 saves on 24 shots) exited the game at the second intermission, forcing minor-league journeyman Dylan Wells — the goalie signed to an NHL contract just Wednesday as functionally the Hawks’ fifth-stringer — into the game. Richardson said postgame that trainers told him after the second period Soderblom “wasn’t feeling good;” he didn’t know anything more about his status.

“It’s definitely concerning with our goalie injuries at this point, but hopefully he’s not too bad,” Richardson added.

Wells did save 12 of 13 shots, creating the lone feel-good storyline of the day, but the Hawks will not want to have to rely on him again. They desperately need Petr Mrazek to fully return from his groin injury by Thursday as expected. Mrazek, Alex Stalock (concussion), Soderblom (undisclosed) and Jaxson Stauber (eye) are all currently unavailable.

“[Playing in the NHL has] been a goal of mine since I was a kid, so I’m really happy,” Wells told reporters in Winnipeg. “When I got told I was going in, it was just, ‘Keep the mindset simple, stop the puck.’ And I did a decent job of that.”

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There are larger and stronger players in the state than Crete-Monee’s Joshua Franklin. There might even be a few that are faster.

But the Warriors’ standout receiver/defensive back has a blend of experience, confidence and game-breaking swagger that is unrivaled.

The 6-0, 173-pound senior has committed to Western Michigan. It would be a severe miscalculation to assume that Franklin doesn’t have Power Five ability. Franklin is one of the state’s most capable speedster threats since Lincoln-Way East’s AJ Henning, who is now at Michigan.

Simeon wasn’t overlooking Franklin or any of Crete-Monee’s star players on Saturday at Gately Stadium. But in the game’s crucial moment there wasn’t anything the Wolverines could do to stop him.

The Warriors beat undefeated Simeon 35-12 in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs but the game was much closer than the final score indicates.

Crete-Monee led 19-12 with 6:46 to play. The Warriors were pinned back at their own 5 and punting out of their end zone. There was a massive wind in their face. Crete-Monee coach John Konecki said he considered taking an intentional safety.

Konecki went with the punt and at that point, all the decisions were in Franklin’s hands.

“I wasn’t supposed to [fake it],” Franklin said. “But I saw an opportunity. No one was containing. It was going to be me and the outside linebacker one-on-one. And I usually win one-on-ones. I wasn’t expecting to score a touchdown. I just wanted to get the first down and keep the ball rolling. But when I got to the 50 I knew I was taking it to the crib.”

Franklin went from end zone to end zone, 100 yards for a touchdown. It gave the Warriors a 26-12 lead and completely crushed Simeon’s morale.

“We talked about the punting situation before the game,” Konecki said. “But [Franklin] made the call. It turned out for the better. He took off and I thought we had a first and the next thing you know, there he goes.”

Franklin had seven receptions for 50 yards. Lynel Billups-Williams added four catches for 70 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown pass from Cory Stennis, who was 14-for-21 for 149 yards. Stennis also rushed for a touchdown.

Carmello Steele had 13 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown. Most of his success came in the Wildcat while the Warriors used their jumbo set to bully a much bigger Simeon line.

“[Steele] does a heck of a job in that set,” Konecki said. “We have really dynamic playmakers on the edge but in playoff football games you have to be able to run it.”

Simeon (10-1) was able to run it but was undone by turnovers. Andre Crews had 23 carries for 210 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolverines. But he also had a pair of fumbles, including one at the Crete-Monee 2.

Simeon made four turnovers: the two fumbles, a bad snap and an interception.

“That’s stuff we haven’t done all year and it cost us,” Simeon coach Dante Culbreath said. “That’s the worst time to have turnovers. You can’t get back from those type of things. If you make those mistakes in the Public League you might be able to rebound but you can’t do that in the state playoffs.”

Simeon receiver Malik Elzy, who recently decommitted from Cincinnati, had three catches for 110 yards. Wolverines quarterback Keshaun Parker was 7 of 17 for 188 yards.

Crete-Monee (9-2) will travel to East St. Louis for the quarterfinals next week. The Warriors opened the season with losses to Lincoln-Way East and Andrean, Ind. and have won nine consecutive games.

“We’re excited about the matchup,” Konecki said. “We’ve seen them before. We’ve been playing playoff football since Week 3. My kids are prepared and they answered the bell.”

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TORONTO – Zach LaVine sat in front of his locker, clad in only a towel and bags of ice on the knees of his outstretched legs.

There was a lot he was seemingly looking to explain after the Friday loss to Boston.

First and foremost, why was the Bulls guard settling for jumpers throughout the first half? And why only one shot attempt in the third? Then when he did get aggressive in the fourth, where was the explosion that has put opposing defenders on posters for years?

If only LaVine had better answers.

Not because he wasn’t willing to give them. He’s just dealing with too many unknowns.

“Obviously, I’m not all the way back yet,” LaVine said of his 6-for-13 shooting night. “I feel that. I’m not going to lie. But it’s coming.”

Not exactly what anyone wanted to hear from a player that just had five years and $215 million invested in him less than four months ago. Then again, LaVine sounded tired of trying to downplay the effects of the offseason left knee surgery. It was time for some transparency.

The good news to come out of Friday was that LaVine even played.

Handcuffed with a load management schedule for the knee throughout the first few weeks of the regular season, it was LaVine’s third game in four nights. Uncharted territory for the two-time All-Star under his current constraints.

So why chance it now?

The truth is this might be LaVine’s norm moving forward. The knee discomfort might be what he has to deal with the rest of this season or even worse, the rest of his career. He needs to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

If that means some shaky nights, so be it.

Like he insisted last year, “Me at 80%, 70%, whatever it is, I’m still one of the best players in the NBA and damn sure one of the best players on the court when we play.”

In the first of the three games last Tuesday in Brooklyn, it was vintage LaVine, scoring 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and playing his best game of the season. The follow-up a night later, however, was almost expected, as LaVine shot just 4-for-16 in his first back-to-back.

After a day off on Thursday, LaVine finished with 16 points in the loss to Boston, and when he did go to the rim it was more react than attack.

And that was the other layer that LaVine brought up in the visiting locker room of TD Garden – that maybe it was time for him to evolve his game. Asked if his days of being a high-flier were behind him, LaVine responded, “You might be [right]. You might not be. I don’t know. MJ [Michael Jordan] was better when he came back off of baseball, but he didn’t dunk as much. Maybe I don’t need to keep the wear and tear. It’s about longevity too.”

Again, none of these are answers that should be coming out of the mouth of a max player, but it isn’t like the Bulls can take the contract back. LaVine put himself in position to have a big pay day. Now, he has to put himself in position to try and carry out that contract the best way he can.

Will he ever be able to justify max money? If the knee stays where it is and the defense remains suspect, that’s a hard no. What he needs to do for now, however, is just play. He’s been told that the knee is secure, and he’s getting a grasp of the discomfort and how to deal with it.

There are still a lot of unknowns for LaVine in front of him.

Evolving as those are figured out isn’t a bad thing.

But just in case, keep the ice bags nearby.

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