One of the most controversial plot lines of the current NBA season was the extent to which observers Zach LaVine denied credit for his improved offensive performance with the Chicago Bulls.
Despite an average line of 29.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists, with an efficiency number that puts him in the 86th percentile in the league according to Synergy Sports, LaVine is often dismissed as a player who is good figures in a bad team. While it’s true that the Bulls are far from candidates, even if they are significantly better than most people would enter this season, the implication is that LaVine is simply producing empty calories.
Consider the above efficiency numbers. As the “Bulls Gold” Twitter feed pointed out earlier this month, LaVine’s offensive performance is not only the league leaders of this season, but it could be one of the most efficient outputs of all time. If LaVine continued its steady pace, the guard would become only the sixth player in NBA history to score at least 25 points while shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from behind the arc, 85 percent from the free-throw line down while boasting. a true shooting mark of 60 percent. These numbers will not only put him alongside Kevin Durant and Larry Bird, but also a definite proof that LaVine has arrived in the league as a bona fide star.
Perhaps just as importantly, the guard contributed to Chicago’s progress toward becoming a winning team. In 15th place in the NBA in offensive winning stakes – equal to Luka Doncic and just ahead of LeBron James – LaVine elevated the Bulls from a likely spot near the bottom of the Eastern standings to a team currently in the “play ”Appears. -in ”tournament for the post-season.
Even on the defensive side of things, LaVine has shown sincere improvement in becoming at least league average. While he may still stray from the ball, frequently turn in a choice and not predict what the offense is trying to do, the guard has tightened the screws on his close-range shots and is less likely to rely on his athleticism to stealing ball – which has mostly led to him being out of position in the past. Although he may never qualify for an All-Defense team, the guard ensures that he does not harm the Bulls on the other side of the field, and this improves the effect his score has on the outcome of a match. .
While LaVine is struggling to get a nod for a spot in the All-Star Team’s Reserve Unit, the reality is that his performance this season is an indication of a player who should have qualified rather than an appetizer, rather as an add-on. Although the media story has fallen behind his game, thanks to the inconsistency of the Bulls series and their narrow victory, Chicago may finally be on the verge of building a consistent winner under the leadership of Arturas Karnisovas. If they do, the rest of the league could finally wake up from their budding talent.
Zach LaVine not only shows that he is an All-Star, but also an MVP in the league.
