2) Chicago Bulls players surpassing expectations in first half
Zach LaVine, Shooting Guard
By far the best player for the Bulls so far this season is the 25-year-old 6-foot-6 former UCLA Bruin and star shooting guard Zach LaVine. You can’t argue with what LaVine has done for this Bulls team, and it will be interesting to see what the new front office duo for this team does with him as we approach the March 25 trade deadline.
A tough stretch through the last two games in terms of turnovers for LaVine has brought back up a problem that plagued him at the outset of this regular season. LaVine is still one of the league leaders in total turnovers (125) and turnovers per game (3.9). He’s got a dozen turnovers in the last two games combined.
But the recent turnover problem for LaVine shouldn’t overshadow the impact that he’s made for this Bulls team this season as a whole. He’s taken his game individually to a new level, and thus the Bulls have found a lot more success in the win column. That’s why LaVine also deserved his first career All-Star nod this year.
So far this season, LaVine has started in every single game the Bulls have played in. And he’s averaged 28.7 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks. LaVine shot 52.4 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Almost every single one of LaVine’s major counting stats, shooting percentages, and advanced metrics are good for career bests at this point of the season.