Zach LaVine is known for his high-flying antics on the basketball court – and rightfully so. He may go down as one of the best dunkers that this game has ever seen. His abilities in the mid-range, however, are one of the most underrated skillsets in the NBA today.
It’s hard to analyze a player’s complete game when he is constantly putting out highlight-reel dunks. That’s probably what Zach LaVine will always be known for. I mean, why wouldn’t he be with dunks like these? (Try and disregard the impressive Aaron Gordon sightings.)
https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/963538150823022593
LaVine is also starting to get more recognition for his ability to shoot the three-ball. He’s hands down the Chicago Bulls best three-point shooter off the dribble. Lauri Markkanen might be the best shooter off the catch. LaVine is close, however, and surely better at creating his own looks. Remember his clutch three against the Wolves?
Clutch 3-ball by @ZachLaVine to tie it up pic.twitter.com/a0brdrhyDH
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 10, 2018
Zach LaVine’s underrated mid-range game
Lavine’s best tool will likely always be his ability to get to the basket. His raw athleticism and instinct to find the seams in the defense make it difficult to stop. But LaVine has one of the more impressive mid-range games in the NBA and one of the highest ceilings as an all-around scorer in the league.
LaVine is shooting a career-best 50 percent on field goals attempted from 10-16 feet away from the basket. That’s an impressive clip (especially considering before this year, he never eclipsed the 40 percent mark from the same distance).
In this highlight reel from his 35-point performance against Minnesota, notice the many times he pulls up from the mid-range into a smooth jumper. He especially likes to do this after an on-ball screen is set from one of the bigs (you’ll notice Robin Lopez plays a large role in these plays).
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/962310199733248000
His insane athleticism and innate ability to get to the basket forces defenders to sag off when he starts his drives or when coming off screens. This is when he is best at using a pound dribble to pull-up into his rhythm jumper. His quick step and driving ability allows him to go from what is seemingly going to be an attack on the basket, into a pull-up jumper in a split second.
If LaVine continues to develop his mid-range game, he’ll have one of the most diverse scoring skill-sets in the entire league.
We’ve already learned from Russell Westbrook that when you can attack the basket as ferociously as either of these two guys can, it frees up mid-range jumpers – the key is to know when to attack and when to pull up.
As LaVine continues his growth as the go-to player for the Chicago Bulls, I expect him to experiment with more scoring options. The bottom line is his bag of tricks is filling up. This also means that his ceiling as an elite scorer continues to rise.
Get ready, Chicago Bulls fans – Zach LaVine’s offensive repertoire is the truth.