Utah Jazz: 5 stars to pair with Gobert if he can’t reconcile with Mitchell
By Caleb Manser
Zach LaVine
Originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014, Zach LaVine has developed into a good NBA player rather than just a dunker. He can score buckets from all three levels on the court, namely the 3-point line, mid range, and dunks and layups.
This season was his first of breaking the 25 points per game threshold, which he’s done so at an efficient shooting clip of 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from deep.
He gets to the free throw line 5.6 times per game on average, and knocks down 80 percent from the charity stripe.
Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylen has lost the respect of his players early this season, and LaVine is no exception. It’s no coincidence that he was caught mouthing the words “why did we call a (expletive) timeout?”
LaVine, like Donovan Mitchell, has freakish athleticism and dunking abilities. But unlike Mitchell, LaVine has a six-foot-six frame to help him finish over bigger defenders.
Donovan is somewhat limited when his outside shot isn’t falling. All the other team has to do to stop him when that happens, is place a bigger defender on him that keeps him from driving with the ball.
As for LaVine, he needs to find more consistency with his production. Since he isn’t the best defender, his offense needs to be there night in and night out. Early in the season, his stat-line was as up and down as a seismograph during an earthquake.
In a five game stretch in November, he scored five points one game, then 15 the next, 49 the next, 18 the next, and then 36. That kind of up and down behavior is not acceptable for a leading scorer on a playoff level team.
Fortunately, he turned it up the beginning of the year 2020. Since then he’s averaged 28.3 points per game, and has only dipped below 20 points in two of the 26 games. That’s more like it!
The only downturn is the Bulls have only won seven of the 26 games. Perhaps what he needs is to experience the atmosphere of a winning team. In his six year career, he’s never even tasted the playoffs.
He’s been through five different head coaches in six years, and the most wins he’s ever amassed in a season was 31 back in 2016-17. Like many players you’re about to see on this list, I’d like to see what Zach LaVine can do in a better situation.
Imagine all the space he’d have to run the floor in Utah, and all the magical dunks he’d bring to Salt Lake City. If it does happen, LaVine would be the greatest dunker to ever don a Utah Jazz jersey.