Why Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine can win MVP: Shooting numbers are even better this season
I mentioned earlier that LaVine is off to a solid start this season in terms of his shooting numbers. If the season ended today, he would finish up in the 50/40/90 club. He was very close to doing that last season, when he shot around 52 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 85 percent from the free-throw line.
LaVine is shooting an incredible 95 percent from the free-throw line, and could even one-up his three-point shooting percentage from last season. He’s specifically shooting 44.4 percent from downtown so far this season, which is roughly two percent better than the 2020-21 campaign.
Shooting numbers are incredibly important for a guard to win MVP nowadays. And with how many tough shots LaVine takes on a nightly basis, he really needs to be efficient with the looks he does get.
Among eligible guards this season, LaVine ranks in the top 10 in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage and in the top five in free-throw percentage. If he keeps this type of production up in terms of shooting efficiency for the rest of the season, LaVine will not only be a shoe-in (in all likelihood) for his second consecutive All-Star nod, but he will be a dark horse in the running for MVP.
Stronger shooting numbers will help LaVine continue to maximizes the touches that he does get this season. And it will prove that he can keep contributing for the Bulls at a very high level in more meaningful games. That will go a long way to proving his candidacy for MVP honors, especially if he keeps his counting stats and advanced metrics at elite levels.