Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine is blossoming into a franchise player
Chicago Bulls point guard Zach Lavine is blossoming into a franchise player
Zach LaVine used to be the freak athletic who won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Today, he’s becoming a franchise player for the Chicago Bulls.
On the night of the 2017 NBA Draft, the Bulls executed a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves which sent star wing Jimmy Butler out of Chi Town. In return, the Bulls received the number seven overall pick (which became Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen), Kris Dunn, and LaVine. While he missed the majority of the 2017-18 season with an ACL tear that he suffered with the Timberwolves, LaVine turned some heads in the 24 games he played with the Bulls.
Averaging 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, three assists, and one steal per game, LaVine played well considering he was returning from a gruesome injury and was thrown into the fire on a new team midseason. This season, he’s taking it to another level.
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Going into Wednesday night, LaVine was averaging an astonishing 27.9 points per game on a career-high 47.4 percent shooting from the field. Ranging from playing in isolation, to shooting off the dribble, to running and finishing fastbreaks, LaVine has become a versatile threat on the offensive end.
LaVine has recorded five 30-plus point games and the fewest amount of points he’s accumulated in a single game this season is 20. He’s also held his own defensively in the 12 games the Bulls have played.
Monday night, LaVine put on a show at Madison Square Garden. Finishing the night with a career-high 41 points, he lifted the Bulls to a gritty 116-115 double overtime victory on the road against the New York Knicks.
In the offseason, the Bulls matched a four-year, $78 million offer sheet which LaVine signed with the Sacramento Kings. And while there was debate as to whether the Bulls should’ve matched the offer sheet after LaVine insinuated the Bulls didn’t want him bad enough, there’s no doubt as to whether the guard is playing into his contract.
LaVine has established himself as the driving force of head coach Fred Hoiberg‘s offense. Does he need to become a more selfless player and not force as many contested jumpers? Absolutely, but if LaVine can shore up that aspect of his game, he can be one of the best guards in the association. He has the hops of Russell Westbrook and the speed of a vintage Derrick Rose. Imagine what LaVine could be if he becomes a more patient scorer and consistent defender?
Now, LaVine is not yet a premier point guard in the NBA; he has to play at this level, or close to it, for a longer duration. But when you look at his offensive production, how the Bulls are able to lean on him to run their offense, and the fact that he’s not fazed, it speaks volumes.
The Bulls have an intriguing young core in place. In LaVine, they have an explosive point guard to run their offense and lean on in crunchtime. In Markkanen, they have a big man who can stretch the floor and finish inside. In Wendell Carter Jr., they have a player who can dominate in the paint and attract attention inside. Antonio Blakeney has been a spark plug off the bench for Hoiburg’s offense, and Bobby Portis was averaging a double-double going into Wednesday night (10.5 points and 10 rebounds per game).
What the Bulls needed, like any other young team, is for someone to break free and become a player who attracts the majority of teams’ attention, and LaVine is doing just that.
He’s playing with a swagger, driving to the rim with ease, and isn’t afraid to hoist up outside jumpers. With that said, in today’s NBA, having a point guard who can take over and be the focal point of an offense is a necessity. The Bulls appear to have that in LaVine – and at a team-friendly rate considering the money franchise point guards are rewarded with.
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The Bulls are 3-9; it’s going to be a long season given the youth and lack of established veterans in place. One could argue they would, in theory, be better off tanking and getting a higher draft pick. At the same time, the Bulls have to establish an identity and begin to turn the corner at some point. LaVine is the start of better days. The Bulls should be focused on him being the centerpiece of their offense and getting others involved such as Carter and, when he returns to the floor, Markkanen.
The Chicago Bulls may be a couple of years away from competing for the playoffs, but they’re watching a franchise player establish himself in LaVine; and that’s how the makings of a winning team begin.