

- The alan parsons project best of series#
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As a team, the Bulls rank 29th in 3-point attempts and 28th in makes, rendering LaVine’s production even more important. None of the other starters are knockdown shooters, and the bench offers a fleet of high-energy contributors-Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Derrick Jones Jr., Coby White-without a long-range threat among them. The former two-time dunk champion is taking a career-low percentage of his shots at the rim.īut while the new roster construction fits LaVine’s style of play, it hasn’t given him much space to operate. LaVine epitomizes this unfortunate habit, as he has settled for midrange jumpers more than at any point since joining the Bulls. “We can’t rely on jump shot after jump shot,” DeRozan said. Donovan and players alike often talk about “getting downhill” on offense, or penetrating the paint to create better shots-especially against zone defenses, which have stymied the Bulls attack in numerous recent games. “I don’t think we’re elite in half-court offense just yet, and that’s something we’ve got to improve on.”Ĭhicago ranks just 11th in half-court efficiency, and a paltry 28th on possessions that start after an opponent makes a basket, per, ahead of only the lowly Rockets and Magic.

“We’re elite in transition,” Caruso said. However, they have struggled when forced to grind out baskets against set defenses. LaVine and the Bulls excel with pace and space, scoring more transition points per game than any other team, according to Cleaning the Glass. Last season, LaVine’s true shooting percentage was 11 percent better than average this season, he’s 9 percent better despite playing with a torn ligament in his thumb. This season, he isn’t shooting with the outrageous efficiency he enjoyed in 2020-21, but he hasn’t fallen far either, relative to a league that’s shooting worse as a whole. Like the Hawks and Suns guards, LaVine contributes mainly by scoring: He already ranks second in Bulls history-you can probably guess the identity of the leader-in 40-point games (14) and 25-points-per-game seasons (three in a row). LaVine is the best candidate to follow their path in 2021-22. Last season, Trae Young and Devin Booker both made the jump to stardom from the ranks of “good stats, bad team” players.
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But if he can’t, all of the Bulls’ shrewd transactions might go for naught-and complicate LaVine’s own decision when he hits unrestricted free agency next summer. If he can make the leap, the Bulls have a chance to fulfill their potential as a surprise contender in a suddenly crowded East.
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Though he was named to his first All-Star roster last season, LaVine has yet to crack an All-NBA team. The NBA remains star-driven: The last team to reach the Finals without a player making an All-NBA team in the same season was the 2009-10 Celtics, who admittedly had several previous All-NBA players just past their primes, while the last team to win a title without one was the 1988-89 Pistons. 1 option, but one of the league’s best options.
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1 options.”īut for the Bulls to return to the playoffs for the first time in five years, and maybe even win a series or two for the first time since Tom Thibodeau was in charge, they need LaVine to not only be their no. But having next to me, having Vooch next to me, Lonzo, that just makes me more confident and more ready to play,” LaVine said at the start of the season. And the revamped roster is clicking to the point that Chicago can dream about not just avoiding the play-in morass, but challenging for home-court advantage in the first round. They’ve already beaten the Jazz, Nets, and Celtics, as well as both L.A. The Bulls are 14-8, tied for second place in the East, with top-10 ratings on both offense and defense. The new-look Bulls get out in transition. In the wake of Jim Boylen’s punch-clock regime, new front-office boss Arturas Karnisovas has built a team in LaVine’s image. He is the centerpiece of this new Bulls era. LaVine isn’t just the longest-tenured Bull or the team’s best pure scorer. Yet during pregame festivities at the United Center, the Alan Parsons Project thumping in the background as it has since the days of Michael Jordan, the player honored with the all-important final spot during introductions is Zach LaVine.

They traded for Lonzo Ball, who’s racing into transition buckets and open 3s.

They signed Alex Caruso, who’s liable to turn any defensive possession into a highlight. They brought in DeMar DeRozan, who has seemingly reentered his prime at age 32. The Chicago Bulls haven’t reached the playoffs in half a decade, but they’ve spent the past year making additions with the goal of winning now.
