Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic are prime All-NBA candidates

At this point of the regular season, the value that the star duo of shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic brings to the table for the Chicago Bulls is clear. Zach and Vooch returned to the starting five together for the first time in 11 games for first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls in a key win over the Charlotte Hornets on the road at the Spectrum Center on May 6.

That win over the Hornets on May 6 helped to snap the four-game losing skid for the Bulls heading into the weekend. It was big to get this win to keep in the race to land the final spot in the play-in tournament for later this month. The Bulls took care of business against the Hornets in the first leg of back-to-back games entering the weekend.

In the back leg of the Bulls back-to-back games entering the weekend comes against the star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics at home at the United Center on May 7.

There could be multiple eventual All-NBA Team selections competing on the court on May 7 when the Bulls meet with the Celtics in Chicago. Vooch, LaVine, Tatum, and Brown are all candidates for those honors this season. Although, it would help if the Bulls at least made the postseason for LaVine and Vooch to increase their chances of getting All-NBA honors.

LaVine got his first career All-Star nod this year after having another career season for the Bulls. And Vooch got his second career All-Star selection this year, which came back when he was a member of the Orlando Magic.

Chicago Bulls stars Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine up for All-NBA

There’s definitely no guarantee that either Vooch or LaVine gets All-NBA honors this year. But it is a major sign of progress for the Bulls that they have two players in the same season up for that level of accolade.

The last time this really happened for the Bulls was back during the mid-2010s when Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler were teammates in Chicago. Butler was the Bulls last All-NBA selection, when he made Third Team for the 2016-17 season.

However, LaVine and Vooch continued to prove their star status this season. Missing 11 games due to a violation of the league’s health and safety protocol could wind up hurting LaVine’s chances in the end. And Vooch didn’t play for the Bulls for the entire season.

Those look like the downsides to the candidacy of the Bulls two stars in the running for All-NBA honors.

But in 54 games played for the Bulls this season, LaVine averaged 27.2 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks. And he shot 50.5 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 84.2 percent from the free-throw line. This is definitely the closest that LaVine has ever come to getting in the 50/40/90 club too.

Meanwhile, Vooch has averaged 23.9 points per game, 11.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks. And he shot 48.5 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.6 percent from the free-throw line.

The numbers are clearly there for LaVine and Vooch to garner All-NBA honors for the 2020-21 season. A lot of their candidacy will depend on how the voters evaluate potential postseason success, since the Bulls might even miss out on the play-in tournament this season.

Following their win over the Hornets on the road on May 6, the Bulls now hold a record of 27-39. They still sit a few games behind the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference standings in the race to land the final spot for the play-in tournament.