Chicago Bulls: Is Zach LaVine a legitimate scorer or just a hot hand?
By Luke Askew
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine is off to a career start. Is he a legitimate NBA scorer or does he just have the hot hand right now?
The Chicago Bulls aren’t exactly off to the start that fans hoped they would be to begin the 2018-19 NBA season. They’re 2-6 and have the second-worst defensive rating in the league. Despite the lack of success as a team, Zach LaVine is playing the best basketball of his career.
After signing a lucrative 4-year, $78 million contract with the Bulls in July, most Bulls fans (even those that were okay with the deal) were skeptical about LaVine’s value. His defense is lackluster and he’s not far removed from a major knee injury. Those are both bright red flags for Bulls fans – a community that loves defense and is mentally scarred by what knee injuries can do to a career.
Now, LaVine is living up to his heavily scrutinized contract and fans are wondering if it’s a fluke.
LaVine is averaging 28.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game on 51.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.0 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Those are phenomenal numbers.
The most impressive part of his season averages thus far is his field goal percentage. During his 24 games last season, LaVine shot a really poor 38.3 percent from the field. Everyone knew he could get buckets, but the question was whether or not he could do it efficiently. Obviously, LaVine’s not expected to keep shooting 51.0 percent from the field. While that would be incredible, it’s a little unrealistic. It’s extremely encouraging, though, that he’s been incredibly efficient through 8 games. It speaks to everything he’s worked on in the offseason.
LaVine is scoring from all three levels of the floor and is doing a really solid job of identifying and attacking mismatches.
In the clip above, Cristiano Felicio sets a screen for LaVine which forces Willy Hernangomez to switch onto LaVine (I’m using the term “forces” loosely here), and the rest of the Bulls team wisely clears out as Zach sizes up his opponent. Instead of taking a step-back jumper, LaVine does what he does best and breaks down Hernangomez with a crossover dribble before taking the ball to the hoop and finishing with authority. This is where LaVine is at his best.
Another thing LaVine has been doing well this season is identifying when a smaller player switches onto him and then using his much-improved back-to-the-basket game to get a bucket.
On this possession, Cameron Payne sets a screen on one of the Hornets’ best defenders (Nicolas Batum) which forces the 6’1″ Kemba Walker to switch onto the 6’5″ Zach LaVine (again, I’m using the term “forces” loosely here). LaVine wisely calls for an iso and the rest is history.
Everyone knew LaVine could attack the basket ferociously, but if he can continue to make a turn-around jumper with his back to the basket against smaller guards, his offensive game will be nearly unstoppable.
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This is a reminder that Zach LaVine is here to stay – none of this is a fluke. He’s a legitimate scorer in the NBA.