Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways from the West Coast road trip
Is Zach LaVine the superstar we need?
With the once-coveted 2021 free agency class quickly drying up, it’s clear that the Bulls must make roster moves via trade, especially before this year’s deadline.
With all of that up in the air, Donovan and the Bulls front office need to make decisions on who is going to stay as a part of a potential playoff team. It is assumed that most of the roster is able to be traded, save for Patrick Williams. That list includes current star shooting guard Zach LaVine.
The fanbase is very split when it comes to this electric scoring guard. Some say he is too much of a liability on the defensive end and shouldn’t be the guy taking the last shot in a close game. Others say he is a perfect fit for the Bulls’ vision and a great half of a backcourt. The answer isn’t clear, even after three (going on four) years in Chicago.
Personally, after how the last trade of a star guard shook down, I would do everything in my power to build around Zach. What that would look like, I’m not sure. Not having ever tasted the playoffs in his entire seven-year career has clearly frustrated the young UCLA product, and the Bulls have to know that by now.
It’s not as if he isn’t a good player. Four of his last five games have seen LaVine with over 30 points, including three in a row. He was going shot for shot with Kawhi on Sunday afternoon, resulting in a 45-point outburst, including 10 threes.
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But he and the Bulls still lost.
LaVine still turns the ball over way too much for someone with his responsibilities on this team. He has only had one game so far this season without a turnover. Every other game he has had three or more.
Granted, the Bulls as a team have had a massive issue with turnovers as they continue learning the Billy Ball system, but LaVine as a star handling the ball as much as he does needs to be better.
It is clear that LaVine is an all-star walking bucket of a shooting guard, debatably in the top-5 for his position. It is his capability to lead a team to a playoff birth that is still his biggest question mark. This road trip only making the answer to that murkier.