LaVine shot 38 percent from 3-point range this season, which was more impressive than it might sound. LaVine might have had the most impressive single game in the NBA this season, when he scored 49 points, hit 13 of 17 3-pointers and scored the game-winning basket with less than a second remaining at Charlotte on Nov. His defensive rating was second-worst on the Bulls roster, but there are plenty of high-scoring guards who fared worse in defensive rating - Bradley Beal, Trae Young, D'Angelo Russell, DeMar DeRozan, Damian Lillard, to name a few.Īccording to nba.com, LaVine's clutch stats were better than Miami's Jimmy Butler. LaVine's defense needs to improve and it did this season. "It drives me because I've accomplished a lot of things, but that's something that I haven't accomplished." "The hardest thing in sports is learning how to win," LaVine said in recent an interview with. Young guys traditionally get eaten alive in the NBA unless they have veteran help. LaVine has grown on the less glamorous end and is another reason why he is the apple of numerous franchises’ eye this offseason.So you can't surround LaVine with a bunch of young teammates - like the Bulls did - and expect him to lead a playoff push. While he will probably never be a DPOY or All-Defensive Team member, there is evidence he will not be the human traffic cone he once was. His on-ball defense was better, and his off-ball help was disruptive to opposing teams at times.Īt 6-foot-5, 200 pounds with off-the-charts athleticism, LaVine has the tools to be a plus on the defensive end. This past season and the Olympics provided glimpses that LaVine still has room to grow defensively. On a team that featured other elite offensive talents, LaVine realized he would need to contribute in other areas.īefore the Olympics, the Bulls star said, “I’m going to bring a lot of energy defensively, I’m going to pick up full-court, I’m going to really try and do that stuff”. LaVine was a member of Team USA Basketball that won gold at the last Olympics. The Bulls went 46-36, making the playoffs for the first time since 2017.Ģ021-22 proved LaVine is an offensive talent who can also contribute to winning. LaVine’s counting stats took a hit, but the wins started to pile up. That offseason saw the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso. Nikola Vucevic was acquired at the trade deadline last season. The front office has brought in pieces over the past two years to surround LaVine. That includes the past two seasons cracking 60%.Īnd one can no longer make the argument his stats are empty.Ĭhicago was one of the worst teams in the league during the first three years of LaVine’s deal.īut his supporting cast was not providing much help. His true shooting percentage has increased to 58.8%. Since joining the Bulls, his usage rate has jumped up to 30.4% across five seasons.Įven with the higher responsibility to carry the offense, his efficiency has not suffered. The UCLA product has steadily improved his game year after year.Īcross three seasons in Minnesota, he had a usage rate of 22.5% with a true shooting percentage of 54.7%. LaVine is one of the smoothest players in the game, effortlessly flowing to his spots on the court and gliding to the rim for vicious finishes. He is a lead guard who can carry the scoring load for offenses single-handedly. LaVine’s calling card is on the offensive end. The two-time Dunk Contest champion has earned the payday coming his way. He is shooting 47.4% from the field on high volume and 39.2% from deep on a healthy 7.1 attempts per game. The Bulls star has averaged 25.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while making two All-Star teams. Needless to say, LaVine has outperformed that contract over the last four years.įive players are averaging 27 points on 50-40-85 shooting this season: Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Zach LaVine, Nikola Jokic and Kyrie Irving.Įntering this season, there had been 5 instances TOTAL of a player doing that in a season. His shooting splits were good, but nothing exceptional – 43.7% from the field and 37.3% from deep on 4.0 attempts per game. He had averaged 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game to that point. LaVine had appeared in 230 games through his first four seasons.Ī torn ACL in 2017 had caused him to miss 72 straight games between 20 – the two years leading up to his restricted free agency. Just four years ago, pundits were questioning if Zach LaVine was deserving of the four-year, $78 million contract the Chicago Bulls matched.
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