Chicago Bulls: Three offensive adjustments without Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls offensive adjustments without Zach LaVine: Less Pick and Role/ Dribble penetration
A player of Zach LaVine’s caliber is going to be the focal part of any offense he is a part of. That has obviously been the case for LaVine on the Bulls this season.
LaVine’s averaging 10.9 possessions per game as a pick and roll ball handler according to NBA.com, unsurprisingly the highest figure on the team. The only other player getting over two opportunities per game as the pick and roll ball handler is Coby White, who is in that position 5.5 times per game.
LaVine ranks in the 76.2 percentile as the pick and roll ball handler, making it easy to understand why head coach Billy Donovan features him in that role offensively. It’s where he gets 10.6 points per game of his team-leading 27.5 points per game.
White will have more of these chances, while Tomas Satoransky and Denzel Valentine figure to get more chances as the ball handler in these situations as well. They are all far less effective in the role, though, and that is why there will be a decrease in the number of times the pick and roll is used.
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Similarly, the team is going to be getting far less penetration in the half-court offense in general. LaVine obviously excels in that as well due to his athleticism and aggressive approach in attacking the basket.
No one on the team has the mental approach to get to the rim like LaVine or the skill set to do so as successfully. That takes a lot away from a team’s offense as getting to the rim with dribble penetration is one of the easiest ways to open up open looks for everyone on the floor.
With these advantages disappearing from the Chicago Bulls offense, there going to have to focus in on a strength and emphasize it more in order to get good looks in the half-court offense.