Today is the first official day for NBA All-Star 2020 voting, and it’s a chance for fans to give Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine a leg-up.
Let’s take a close look at why Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine could be named an All-Star for the first time.
LaVine has come a long since his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves as the third wheel to the likes of big man Karl-Anthony Towns and forward Andrew Wiggins. He’s arguably the face of the Bulls and is the team’s best at creating plays for both himself and his teammates. Many believe that if the team can rack up enough wins, LaVine could make his first All-Star game appearance in 2020.
The question is how many games can the Bulls expect to win during the 2019-20 season. The team makes for the third youngest in the league by average seasons of league experience and the second youngest by average age. At the same time, the Bulls don’t have a ton of experience playing yet alone winning games. The team is still learning how to play together in some ways.
The Bulls have not been among the most consistent teams in the league. Some nights the offense is clicking, and some nights it’s a work in progress. Aside of the Bulls’ defense, which ranks among the top 10 in the league, the most consistent element to the team is arguably LaVine. He is currently averaging 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. LaVine is the go-to guy when the Bulls need a bucket to put an end to a scoring drought, and he’s the one the team turns to when it’s crunch time. Let it be clear, the Bulls are returning to relevancy little by little thanks, in part, to LaVine.
While there is a bit of talk around league of the Eastern Conference being weak, this adds more credence to the idea of LaVine becoming a first time All-Star.
How, you ask?
With LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers a little more than a year ago, he created an opportunity for another star to rise to the occasion to claim the throne of the Eastern Conference. Many people believe the mantle has already been claimed by Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, but I beg to differ.
The Bulls are a storied franchise for a lot of reasons, one of which is they have six championships. You could argue those times are in the rearview. However, the Bulls have already proven they have the ability to build winning teams. They can do it again, and they are arguably doing it right now as the team has a shot at claiming the eighth seed, if not higher positioning, in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
It’s only right that this year the All-Star game will take place in Chicago, the home of the Bulls. As such, it makes sense to think LaVine will take the next step into super stardom by becoming an All-Star for the first time.
To make your All-Star 2020 vote count, go to NBA.com/vote.