It’s beginning to look a lot like the Chicago Bulls are finding a top notch head coach-star duo between first-year bench boss Billy Donovan and star shooting guard Zach LaVine. After building a three-game winning streak in their Feb. 24 home overtime win at the United Center over the Minnesota Timberwolves, by the final score of 133-126, the confirmation of LaVine’s deserving of his first career All-Star selection this year was complete.
Now the discussion begins about what the Bulls plan is for their first-time All-Star selection LaVine as the March 25 trade deadline approaches. First-year executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have a lot of work to do in the near future to strategize for the looming deadline next month.
According to a report from K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago on Feb. 24, the prospect of the LaVine-Donovan combination sticking around for a while in the Windy City looks good. Johnson talked about the potential of the “long-term” pairing of LaVine and Donovan for the Bulls in this piece on NBC Sports Chicago.
Here’s more on the meat of this subject in this piece from Johnson.
"But this is why LaVine’s ascension to All-Star status in Donovan’s first season with the Bulls is so important. Donovan isn’t going anywhere. Word around the league is that LaVine isn’t either.And so a partnership that is off to a strong, respect-filled start should only strengthen and grow.It’s another reason why it makes sense for the Bulls to extend LaVine, whether that happens this offseason or next. Just think about what he can achieve with some coaching stability, particularly one of Donovan’s stature?"
LaVine’s rise with the Chicago Bulls
The Bulls wouldn’t be where they are now without Donovan elevating the play of this team, and LaVine taking center stage as a bona fide star in this league. LaVine is taking his play to a whole new level this season, garnering a much deserved first-career All-Star nod on the night of Feb. 23.
Donovan has led this Bulls team to now register a record of 15-16, which is good for placing in the top six in a weaker Eastern Conference standings at the moment. The Bulls have now won three games in a row and five of their last six.
LaVine had another big game for the Bulls in their win over the Timberwolves on Feb. 24, registering a game-high 35 points.
As a whole, LaVine is playing really well for the Bulls so far this season. He’s started in all 30 games he’s played in for the Bulls this season. LaVine averaged 28.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks. His shooting stats are even better. He’s shot an incredible 52.3 percent from the field, 44.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 86.6 percent from the free-throw line.
That’s amounted to a career-best 4.0 box plus/minus rating, 1.7 value over replacement player rating, .159 win shares per 48 minutes, 3.7 total win shares, 117 offensive rating/113 defensive rating, 65.3 true shooting percentage, and a 22.8 player efficiency rating.
The Bulls wouldn’t be where they are right now without LaVine standing out for them in a big way. He’s very well on pace to a career-best in win shares before we even reach the halfway mark of this regular season slate.
Donovan is also spearheading a Bulls team that is off to their best start (in terms of winning percentage) through the first 30 games since the tenure of former head coach Tom Thibodeau. Ironically enough, both Donovan and Thibs are leading the Bulls and New York Knicks to two of the biggest turnaround stories in the East at this point of the season.