Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Zach LaVine’s Passing Leads Chicago Bulls Numbers That Count

By Joshua Buckhalter

PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 05: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles around Robert Covington #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter at Moda Center on January 05, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 05: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles around Robert Covington #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter at Moda Center on January 05, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

We’ve seen a shift in this year’s Chicago Bulls as the season has progressed. Hopefully, these early signs lead to greater returns down the road.

The Chicago Bulls kicked off their four-game road trip on Tuesday with a surprising come-from-behind road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. That word in that last sentence makes the statement more unbelievable than the last. And the kicker is they did it without the sweet-shooting of Lauri Markkanen.

A 111-108 victory over a non-conference opponent just eight games into the season isn’t typically the kind of thing one should get overly excited over. But not only was it the Bulls second win over a 2019 playoff team this season, but there were also further signs of maturity from this roster.

Our first installment of the season was rather negative but you work with what you’re given, right?

This time we have a handful of promising numbers that point suggest this is heading in the right direction. But before even getting to that, something needs to be said. The time was taken here to lay out reasons why Billy Donovan was the wrong man for the Bulls head coaching job.

That has proven to be incorrect.

Donovan brought a level of respectability this team hasn’t seen in a few years in very short order. From solid rotations to his ATOs all the way down to his even-keeled demeanor on the sidelines.

Now let’s get into the numbers…

9

That’s how many assists Zach LaVine had in the Bulls win over Portland. LaVine, pegged as a scorer only, was clearly looking to get his teammates involved early and showing little urgency at getting his. He would finish the game with just 18 points on 33 percent shooting (30 percent from 3P), something that would have sunk his night in previous years.

It was LaVine’s most assists in a game since last January. Minnesota tried to make LaVine into a point guard, which he is not. But if he can facilitate the way he (and Coby White who had five assists) did against Portland the Bulls can get by without a traditional point guard. We also saw some good defensive sequences from Zach, but we’ll wait to see more of that.

.500

The Bulls faced a 20 point deficit in their comeback win over Portland. It’s the third-largest halftime hole they’ve been in this season and the first time they’ve come back to get the win. The unlikely triumph gets them back to .500 on the year, a mark they haven’t reached since finishing the 2016-17 campaign 41-41.

We went into last season with elevated expectations just to have the rug pulled out from under us almost immediately. This year, expectations were far more measured and, while we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves, the returns have been more promising. Old habits are being worked out of this team and positive ones are being implemented that better fit the roster.

39

That’s how many points the Bulls allowed in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game. It was the third-most points they’ve allowed in the opening frame this season, just behind the 42 they gave up to Atlanta in the opener and the 41 allowed to Washington in the second meeting. Letting the opponent get off to fast starts is less than ideal and the Bulls do it often

Chicago ranks no better than 19th in opponent’s scoring in any given quarter or half, for that matter. But they’re at their worst in the first half. They’re tied with Houston for the most points allowed in the first half at 62.4 points per game. It’s not great by any means, but they’re 25th in opponent scoring in the second half of games. Those are in-game improvements and gives a baseline for making corrections to whatever is happening out the games.

3-1

That’s the Bulls record without Lauri Markkanen who is currently on the shelf dealing with COVID protocols. The big Finn has been having a career resurrection of sorts this season. He’s shooting career-highs from the floor and from deep. Markkanen has also seen his scoring bounce back to some degree and his effective field goal percentage has never been higher.

Next. Coby White looked up to Dame growing up. dark

But that record cannot be ignored when they were 1-3 with him in the lineup. There has been no shortage of attempts to break up the Bulls frontcourt from fans and media members alike. This recent stretch won’t do anything to dissuade them and it’s getting harder to argue against it. This season, the Bulls offensive rating is 12 points higher with Markkanen off the floor than on while the defensive rating is better with him off.

Home/Bulls News