The unfortunate news that Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine is set to miss an undisclosed amount of time is devastating for both fans and his teammates.
LaVine makes everyone’s life easier, whether it be his teammates on the court or the fans at home who at least get to watch an offensive monster go to work when the team is underperforming. Now, the Bulls will have to make drastic changes to their game plan for the next number of games before they know more or LaVine returns.
Simply put – It will not be easy.
Not only is Zach LaVine the team’s leading scorer and most involved offensive player he is also the most used player on that end of the floor. In fact, his usage rate since the addition of Nikola Vucevic is a team-high 31.2 percent.
There is a long list of statistical categories he leads the team in because of that featured role. With him out and the team essentially in must-win games from here on out, Billy Donovan has his hands full in creatively overcoming the loss of offensive firepower.
Defensively, which has been the Bulls kryptonite all season long, there’s a decent chance there is not much of a change for the team or there is even a slight improvement. That will depend on where the minutes go to fill the LaVine void.
Offensively, the changes will be drastic and noticeable. In a way, it will be like a whole new offensive game because of the Bulls lack of anyone capable of stepping into the type of role LaVine plays.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the first adjustment to the Bulls offense without Zach LaVine on the court.