Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine could still become a star

The Chicago Bulls are going to be in a really challenging spot in the midst of this rebuild if they’re not able to find any help soon for Zach LaVine.

The drum that is beat on all too often in the Chicago Bulls media and fan base has to do with how shooting guard Zach LaVine is in the wrong role with this team right now. It was before the time of current head coach Jim Boylen taking over when the Bulls were casting out LaVine as their primary scorer, and the results in the win column obviously haven’t come through since the start of the rebuild.

But the difficulties that the Bulls are finding in terms of getting traction with this rebuild aren’t the least bit of LaVine’s fault. He actually had a career year before the Bulls 2019-20 campaign ended in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. LaVine also only continues to get better as his time in the NBA moves along.

For what would’ve been the first time in his career, LaVine was nearly an NBA All-Star selection. In the season that was for the Bulls, LaVine played in 60 games (starting in all of them). He averaged 25.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks. LaVine shot 45.0 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.2 percent from the free-throw line.

That amounted to LaVine registering a 2.4 value over replacement player rating, 2.5 box plus/minus rating, .092 win shares per 48 minutes, 4.0 total win shares, a 56.8 true shooting percentage, and a 19.5 player efficiency rating. Most of those advanced metrics for LaVine were career-highs, which really proves why he likely deserved his first career All-Star selection this year, especially since it was hosted at the United Center in Chicago.

However, the writing is on the wall that LaVine should only get better from here on out. He’s on an upward trend, and is still young at 25 years old. His box plus/minus rating has yet to take a step back in the last three years, which is the same for his number of win shares per 48 minutes and his player efficiency rating.

The shooting efficiency of LaVine, especially from downtown, also only continues to get better for LaVine. His 38.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc is the best in any season in his Bulls run thus far. And he met the 20 field goals attempt per game mark for the first time in his career. The usage is going up for LaVine, but his efficiency is also only getting better too.

If the Bulls actually manage to give LaVine a solid supporting cast in the near future, then he could really keep blossoming into a star in the NBA as this rebuild continues. Maybe the Bulls could get a decent quality starter out of free agency at some point in the next two cycles, and a potential future star out of the 2020 NBA Draft.

A lot of that fortune will depend on how the draft lottery shakes out for the Bulls. If recent history is any indication in the Windy City, then the Bulls will wind up with the seventh overall pick for the fourth straight year.

One other underrated part of LaVine’s game is his improving defense. If he were able to become more than a net even or net negative presence on the defensive end of the floor for the Bulls, and keep or improve his current level of offensive production, then he should be a shoe in All-Star selection.

He posted a career-best 110 defensive rating, -0.8 defensive box plus/minus rating, 2.2 defensive win shares, 2.0 percent steal rate, and 1.3 percent block rate. All of those were career bests on that end of the floor. And even his defensive rebounding rate just shy of 14.0 percent was the second best tally of his career.

As long as LaVine doesn’t start to plateau next season for the Bulls, then his ascent to stardom should keep on going from here. He might never be the primary star and scorer on an NBA Championship level team, but he could be a secondary option. Or he could become part of a star duo if the Bulls are really able to build something out of this increasingly lengthy rebuild.

The Bulls finished up the 2019-20 season with a record of 22-43 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic-induced hiatus. LaVine was on a roll, along with rookie point guard Coby White, before the season came to a premature end. But hopefully he can continue that momentum heading into the 2020-21 season, which looks to arrive in early December as it stands now.