Chicago Bulls: Don’t be fooled by Zach LaVine

Is there a real issue between Zach LaVine and Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylen?

Last week, Zach LaVine was temporarily benched after the team quickly fell behind 13-0 to the Miami Heat. Head coach Jim Boylen decided after LaVine made “three egregious defensive mistakes.”

After the game, LaVine candidly spoke about the lack of trust between him and Boylen, saying:

"[via Yahoo]"

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"“It’s hard to trust someone that doesn’t trust you.”"

The very next night, LaVine made a statement by scoring 49 points (including 13 3-pointers), and a game-winner against the Charlotte Hornets.

However, even though Jim Boylen is one of the least successful coaches in the NBA, benching LaVine was a wise decision. Having LaVine on the court will leave his team exposed on defense, and it’s to the point where his team-leading scoring can’t make up for it.

Up to this point in his career, what Zach LaVine has done has always been more flashy than productive. During his time in Minnesota, he garnered considerable attention through his supernatural dunking ability, eventually winning back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests.

Meanwhile, his offensive repertoire expanded to being a decent playmaker and a skilled scorer. Unfortunately, any of his offensive contributions were quickly nullified on the other end of the court. Fast forward several years and little has changed, and he might be the epitome of “good stats on a bad team.”

Currently, in year six of his career and LaVine is yet to post a positive net rating or defensive box plus/minus, and his teams are almost always better when he’s off the court.

The imperfections in his game may have finally reached a boiling point this season. LaVine currently leads the Bulls in scoring, but his defense still leaves much to be desired. When on the court, opponents’ effective field goal percentage increases by 5.3 percent, which puts him in the 4th percentile among players at his position.

Surprisingly, his overall scoring and shooting numbers are down as well, and the Bulls offense is only marginally better when he plays. As a result, the Bulls are outscored by 11 points per 100 possessions, even after his scoring outbursts. In short, one has to be dominant offensively to make up for such weak defense; and he is yet to prove he can do it consistently.

LaVine has managed to make marginal defensive improvements throughout his career, but it’s unlikely he will ever be more than a “bad” defender. And as long as he’s out there, teams will continue to exploit his weaknesses.

Chicago may have to reevaluate the team’s long-term plans, especially in regards to LaVine and head coach Jim Boylen. The only problem is that the team has both under contract for the next several seasons. Both Boylen and LaVine make valid points in their respective arguments, but the front office will eventually have to choose who to side with if the situation continues to spiral. Time will tell if the conflict will ever be resolved, but both need to focus on improvement within their roles in the meantime.