5. Zach LaVine improved his offensive efficiency
Although most NBA followers not a part of the Chicago Bulls fan base would consider standout shooting guard Zach LaVine a stat sheet stuffer, that looks to be far from the truth with his game this season. The shooting ability and offensive versatility LaVine put on display in four games played during this preseason looked much-improved from his breakthrough year last season.
He averaged 23.25 points per game, 4.25 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.25 steals. That all came while shooting an insane 59.3 percent from the field and 56.0 percent from three-point range. Now while those numbers aren’t likely to continue throughout the course of an entire regular season, they are clear signs of progression.
LaVine should be the go-to scorer for the Bulls this season alongside third-year power forward Lauri Markkanen. LaVine and Markkanen are the two brightest budding stars on this team and they are both the most offensively capable of shouldering the load this season. We’ll see where they can take the Bulls during the upcoming regular season.
The only downside to the production that LaVine posted during the preseason was the turnover numbers. He did average 3.25 turnovers per game compared to just three assists, which is something that can get him in trouble down the road. Boylen’s multi-ball handler system rides on how LaVine can fare as the heaviest usage player in this rotation.