Chicago Bulls: 3 attainable goals for Jim Boylen in 2020
2. Turn Zach LaVine into a consistent All-Star caliber guard
The Chicago Bulls very heavily rely on LaVine to shoulder the load on offense game in and game out. There were moments against the Mavericks that LaVine was getting double right away, and even tripled when he was driving the lane with opportunity at getting to the rim fast. And the Mavericks aren’t the only team to try and lock down on him right away on defense.
When LaVine has that killer instinct to drive the lane and make tough shots, he’s hard to stop and commands a lot of attention from opposing defenses. It would just be nice to see LaVine make smarter decisions when he’s under pressure and consistently getting doubled. Markkanen is on of late, and LaVine could develop a beautiful connection with him on the outside.
If Boylen has more plays drawn up where LaVine has easy looks to solid outside shooters in the corners, then it could be easier for him to effectively facilitate the entire offense. If the Bulls can get talented offensive guards like rookie Coby White and the 6-foot-7 Tomas Satoransky going, then this offense surrounding Lavine could be more lethal.
So far this season, LaVine is averaging 23.6 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Other good signs from LaVine this season are his improved shooting from deep and his progression on the defensive end of the floor. He’s posting a career-high in defensive rating so far, sitting at 107.