Many key factors go into becoming a first time All-Star. Your stat line does not need to stand out amongst your piers. I have never once considered a high volume scorer on a bad team an instant All-Star. How you lead on and off the court, and my most important stat line, that makes an All-Star, is your ability to win games and or make the people around you better to help your team win games. This shows up for one of the best players for the Chicago Bulls in the last few years.
Those stats, that don’t show up in the stat sheets matter as well. Hustle plays and having the ability to always be in the right spot, making the right read or always finding that mismatch. Big time players make big time plays, an All-Star is a big time player in the biggest moments. Lets take a deeper dive into Zach LaVine‘s case as to why he should be a first time All-star.
Lets just jump right into it,
Are you helping the guys around you to be better or the best version of themselves?
Zach has shown the ability to get his teammates involved and helping them to find there spots. He often does make sure he reads the defense and the game has slowed down for him, to the point that LaVine is now allowing the game to come to him.
This has helped his team become more competitive and has caused his efficiency to sky rocket. It has also increased his value significantly, in turn LaVine has helped the Bulls to win more games early in the season. Doing whatever it takes to get that W in the win column. LaVine has hit big shots, he’s also dropped off a few nice dimes to seal the win.
Has LaVine taken the leap to an All-Star this season?
Lets first look into LaVine’s Stat line in the first 20 games of this season. 26.5 points per game, 5.3 rebound and 5.2 assists per game. All great numbers and career highs. We can add in his steals per game, not a career high but still sitting at 1.3 per game. His 40 percent three-point shooting average is actually outstanding.
LaVine shoots an average of 8.4 attempts per game. He’s hitting almost half of the three-point shots he puts up. Bulls fans already know Zach will pull up from anywhere, at 40 percent from three I would like to see those attempts to be more around 10 three point shot attempts per game as we get later into the season. To win against todays top NBA teams the Bulls will need to score on more three point attempts.
He’s also getting to the rim at will at critical times or shooting free throws to stop the clock in late game situations. All indications that his game has evolved. Lavine’s rebounding shows he is more engaged in the game and isn’t just relying on his offense. Zach’s assist numbers also tell the story of how he’s not looking just to score, he’s setting his teammates up as well.
The two statistics that stand out to me the most are his 50 percent shooting average. Thus indicates Lavine is allowing the game to come to him. LaVine has developed his game over this past summer, He is developing into a more complete player and is more willing to take on those big moments. His maturity. hard work and pure will to want to become a winner has translated to the court.
Then the dreadful 4.1 turnovers per game, that is also a career high. I have my own opinion on why LaVine’s turnovers are so high or why the Bulls lead the league in that category. That’s a topic for another day, let’s stick with LaVine for now.
Trust me as a fan I would like to see Zach take care of the ball better but I do realize that Zach gets put in some bad situations at times. Coaching will fix that as the season goes on. These bad endings to some games early this season hopefully will act as a learning experience as we get deeper into the season and games become more meaningful. My hope would be that soon our All-Star will be closing out games on most nights.
So the numbers are there for Lavine, the leadership is starting to stand out as well. LaVine has carried the bulls through games this season, he has also made costly mistake in the final minutes of a game. Whether a bad turnover or a terrible shot early in the shot clock but Lavine has become more vocal and has made a point to improve his defense or at the least taking on a defensive challenge. All in all I think LaVine has more then proved he has taken that leap.
LaVine should be a reserve this year. I thought he should’ve been voted in last year but I do understand the team was not near the team they are this year. The Bulls this year are Leaps and Bounds better then last year.
LaVine has the ability to take over a game and drop 40 any night and this new look Bulls Team should improve as the season goes on.
Has LaVine’s trust of Coach Billy Donavon and full buy in translated to winning?
At the end of the day the bulls are headed in the right direction. LaVine has completely bought into Donovan’s system and Donovan has found a way to get the most out of LaVine and is developing and teaching Zach how to become the leader and face of a franchise. In return soon we can hopefully become relevant and back to that winning culture that the Chicago Bulls use to have.
The Bulls have become very competitive and must watch basketball. From the young guys to the veterans, The bulls are finally having fun again and playing great basketball. All of that starts with LaVine. We can also expect LaVine to enter the Slam Dunk Contest as soon as he’s voted into the All-Star game.
This adds more intriguing events to look forward to during this Bulls season. Not only that but 3 time slam dunk contest winner, Chicago Bulls 2020-21 All-Star guard Zach LaVine sounds exciting. Must watch TV!
At 8-12 in the first 20 games the bulls will be chasing the final playoff spot at seasons end. The Bulls are competing at a level we haven’t seen in years. Those close games we have given away early into the season will soon become games that we will finish. Experience and great coaching will teach this young team how to close out games.
With a full complete buy in by the team as a whole and fingers crossed the Bulls can stay healthy, maybe minus Otto Porter Jr. he appears to be destined to miss a chunk of games for back to back season. Wendell Carter has the same injury concerns. All that set aside, The bulls are headed in the right directions. I think LaVine is just getting started on how dominant he will become under new coach Billy Donavan.
Fans should be very excited and optimistic on the future. I know I could not be more excited to see were this journey will take us. Good or bad we are at least finally in good hands as a franchise. I know we have the right coach in place. The front office will know which direction and the correct moves after this season.
I have playoffs as an expectation for the Bulls this season. I’m looking forward to our All-Star LaVine to lead us to the playoffs and to a possible first round upset. Hey! The 1st seed has underestimated the eight seed in the past, I’m a fan first so I will be dreaming big. At the end of the 20-21 season we can look back on this article to judge how good or bad this take is. In the meantime LaVine has my vote, I am just beginning, remember I am a fan first all the rest comes second. Stay tuned!