This looked to be a really difficult year to pick the All-Star reserves for both conferences. But the Chicago Bulls still got their guy in among the NBA All-Star Game selections this year, with star 25-year-old shooting guard Zach LaVine getting his first nod of his career. It was a special night for LaVine and the Bulls on Feb. 23, as he’s the team’s first All-Star Game selection in more than three years.
The last All-Star nod for the Bulls came back during the 2016-17 campaign, with former star shooting guard/small forward (currently with the Miami Heat) Jimmy Butler getting the call then.
LaVine is having another career year for the Bulls as he is posting career-bests in nearly every major offensive per game stat, along with his shooting percentages, and all-encompassing advanced metrics.
Up to this point, LaVine has starred for the Bulls as he’s started in all 30 games he’s played in. And he’s averaged a career-best 28.6 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks. He’s shot 51.8 percent from the field, 43.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 86.4 percent from the free-throw line.
That all has amounted to a career-best 4.3 box plus/minus rating, 1.7 value over replacement player rating, .162 win shares per 48 minutes, 3.6 total win shares, 64.8 true shooting percentage, 117 offensive rating/113 defensive rating, and a 23.0 player efficiency rating.
Moreover, there is an argument looming among some fans around the NBA that a player like LaVine should not be picked over a player that was snubbed from the All-Star Game like the Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young. A good argument does exist that Young should’ve got one of the reserve spots, if nothing else.
But it’s clear that with LaVine’s advanced metrics mostly looking better than Young’s, and with the Bulls finding a bit more success in the win column than the Hawks, the former of those two players deserved to get the All-Star nod this year.
Comparing the Chicago Bulls star to Trae
The only major per game stat where Trae is doing better than LaVine is assists per game. And while Trae is ranking in the top five in the NBA in assists per game, sitting just shy of 10.0, that shouldn’t be enough to get him above LaVine in the All-Star conversation just because of one stat.
Trae has also averaged 27.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks. And he’s shot 43.4 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.7 percent from the free-throw line.
When you compare stats and winning and LaVine is the one that comes out on top over Trae, there’s not much of a valid argument that the Hawks star deserved this All-Star bid among guards in the Eastern Conference.
If there is an argument for Trae to get in over someone else, it should be for the Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons. Trae is averaging more points per game and assists than Simmons, and most of his advanced metrics look better too. Trae has also played in more games this season than Simmons has.
The All-Star Game is set to take place on March 7. And LaVine and the Bulls are set to next take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home at the United Center on Feb. 24. They are riding a two-game winning streak heading into that game.