Zach LaVine: A Potential Star in the Making?
The real challenge facing the Chicago Bulls is not who they will land in a coaching search but who they can pair with Zach LaVine to get this rebuild turned around.
Draymond Green had some choice and expensive comments (that resulted in a $50,000 fine) surrounding the position that Devin Booker finds himself in with the Phoenix Suns.
He said:
“Get my man out of Phoenix. It’s not good for him. It’s not good for his career. They gotta get Book out of Phoenix. I need my man to go somewhere where he can play great basketball all the time and win because he’s that type of player.”
Immediately I found myself thinking of the plight that Zach LaVine finds himself in.
BUY CHIShop!
Those inside and outside of the organization have shared the opinion that LaVine is an underrated player, cast in the wrong role as a primary scoring option on a bad team.
And for him to fulfill his potential he would best be suited as a secondary scoring option on a winning ball club.
http://twitter.com/BullsHypeNBA/status/1290317827736588289
But, the Bulls lack of winning should not fall flatly on LaVine’s shoulders.
LaVine was having a career year before the pandemic hit and showed enough improvements in his game that should have catapulted him into All-Star status.
He averaged 25.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks. LaVine shot 45.0 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from three, and 80.2 percent on free throws. He also had an effective field goal percentage of 52.6.
The past 3 years have seen LaVine’s shooting efficiency increase each year, particularly his shooting from beyond the arc. It’s surprising that this would take place given that Lauri Markkanen (who was supposed to take a big leap in his evolution as a player) struggled throughout the year. And let’s not forget that Coby White and LaVine also shared limited minutes on the floor. So LaVine was doing this without a real secondary scorer through his time in Chicago.
What has been most notable about LaVine’s transformation has been his embracing Jim Boylen’s challenge of becoming a two-way player. He has become a better on-ball defender and is reacting better to his assignments once the ball starts moving around. His steals rate and defensive rebounding percentages are showing significant upticks for the first time in his career.
At just 25 years old, LaVine is showing real star qualities that should only get better with the continued progress of Coby White and the growth of Lauri Markkanen. The BetQL computer picks don’t lie – LaVine is on the rise.
Hopefully, he’ll get the recognition that he deserves while playing in a Bulls’ uniform.
Featured Image: ---
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.