Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine could be special in the pick & roll

It’s time for Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine to prove he’s worth the money. If he continues to develop his pick & roll game, he could be special.

The Chicago Bulls signed Zach LaVine to a 4-year, $78 million contract in the summer. We all know about the ridiculous athleticism LaVine has. The 2x Slam Dunk Champion was arguably the most athletic player in the entire NBA before tearing his ACL in 2017.

Now that he’s fully recovered from his knee injury and getting paid like a superstar, it’s time for LaVine to take his game to the next level. The days where he could rely on his athleticism to make highlight-reel plays and constantly hear the word “potential” bounced around are basically over. The potential has to start turning into production. To clarify, I’m totally okay with any and all Zach LaVine highlight reel plays, but he needs to start doing more. He needs to turn into a complete player.

One way LaVine can utilize his athleticism and unique skill-set is by mastering the pick & roll – something he’s already quite good at, actually.

Zach LaVine ranked 13th in the league during the 2017-18 season in possessions per game as the pick & roll ball handler (out of players that played in 24 games or more). His teammate, Kris Dunn, ranked 11th in the same category.

Clearly, head coach Fred Hoiberg enjoys the pick & roll.

But why wouldn’t he? It’s possibly the most useful play in the history of the sport – and LaVine is actually pretty effective when running it. As the pick & roll ball handler, LaVine had a higher effective field goal percentage than notable pick & roll maestros Lou Williams, Donovan Mitchell and DeMar DeRozan. He also averaged more points per possession (under the same criteria) than Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook.

Sure, he can use his athleticism to get to the rack in transition, or he can score in isolation situations, but he’s at his best when he’s navigating the pick & roll, using his instincts to knife through the defense and then deciding whether to stop on a dime and pull up for a jumper or explode all the way to the hoop.

Now that Lauri Markkanen is coming into his own as an offensive weapon and Wendell Carter Jr. is in a Bulls uniform, Hoiberg has two elite big men who can help LaVine be effective in the pick & roll.

I’m not expecting LaVine to be as electric in the pick & roll as Kemba Walker or Damian Lillard, but he’s an underrated pick & roll ball handler and that’s where he can start to find some serious success on the offensive end of the court.