Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine setting franchise records in turnovers

There’s no doubt that the Chicago Bulls star shooting guard Zach LaVine is having a tremendous season. After having a stellar 2019-20 campaign that saw him post career highs in a number of significant per game and advanced stats, LaVine is on pace to do it again this season. But not all is positive for the way LaVine has played on the offensive end of the floor so far this season.

While LaVine is having another career-year that looks like it could be worthy of his first All-Star nod (whatever form that takes in this altered campaign in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic), turnovers are a rampant problem for him. LaVine actually leads the NBA in total turnovers so far this season, at a whopping 67.

In total through 16 games played for the Bulls this season (all of which he’s started in), LaVine is leading the team by a good margin in turnovers per game (at 4.2). He’s also averaged 26.8 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks. LaVine shot 49.7 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The turnovers are a real emerging problem for LaVine. There are games where he’s really stood on his head for this Bulls team that having a roller coaster ride of a run through this regular season slate of late. He was huge for the Bulls in their last two wins, which came over the Charlotte Hornets and Houston Rockets respectively.

What’s happening for Chicago Bulls SG LaVine

But about the worst game that LaVine had both in terms of his single-game stats and overall efficiency came in the Bulls Jan. 23 21-point loss to the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers at home. LaVine turned the ball over a whopping seven times in that game, while posting only four assists.

It looked like LaVine was really starting to turn the corner in terms of his assist-to-turnover ratio during the Bulls three-game winning streak. He had an impressive nine assists, with just turnovers, in the Jan. 22 win over the Hornets on the road.

In half of the games that LaVine played in so far this season, he’s amassed at least five turnovers. And he has two outings with seven turnovers now.

The way that LaVine is trending right now could bring him to register the franchise record for a regular season in turnovers per game. The current leader is the Hall-of-Fame big man Artis Gilmore, who registered 4.5 turnovers per game during the 1977-78 season. That campaign also saw Gilmore post a turnover rate of 19.0 percent.

LaVine’s turnover rate sits around 17.0 percent so far this season.

That trend that LaVine has found himself building of late is on pace to finish just behind Gilmore in terms of turnovers per game. Since this is a shortened regular season, LaVine might not get the total turnover record for the Bulls, though.

LaVine has another chance to start to turn the corner for good in terms of managing his assist-to-turnover ratio on the night of Jan. 25, as the Bulls take on the Boston Celtics at home at the United Center. The 7-9 Bulls will take on the Celtics for the first time this season, with tip off time set for 8 p.m. CT.