This season's NBA has 2 teams that rise to a breathtaking speed, one is the Warriors, last season did not enter the playoffs, the result of this season directly hit the league first; the other is the Bulls, from the original fish belly team, suddenly grew into a league powerhouse, the new season they are 22 wins and 10 losses, ranking second in the East, only one win away from the first-ranked Nets.
There are many reasons why the Bulls have been able to play such a good performance this season. In addition to the addition of DeRozan, Ball and Caruso, LaVine's steady growth is also very critical, when he first entered the league, LaVine was only a role player in the Timberwolves, averaging only about 10 points per game, plus winning 2 dunk contest championships, so he was once called a dunk by fans. The word dunk, which seems to be positive, actually implies a pejorative meaning, and only those players with excellent physical fitness, few scoring methods, and a preference for dunks will be named dunks.
As the saying goes, aspirants can do it, and in the atmosphere of the Timberwolves, Lavin still grows steadily. After being traded to the Bulls, he ushered in multiple outbreaks, 18-19 season, that is, when LaVine was in the 5th grade, his average points per game came to 23.7 points, and then every year he improved steadily, last season he averaged 27.4 points, 5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, shooting 50.7%, averaging 3.4 three-pointers per game, 41.9% from three-point range, 84.9% from the free throw range, and almost entered the 180 club.
The new season continues to be efficient
In the offseason this year, DeRozan came to the Bulls, he and Lavin are both In the No. 2 position, and both have excellent ball holding ability, I thought that both of them would decline due to the distribution of the ball, resulting in a decline in stats, but the result stunned me. This season, LaVine averaged 35 minutes per game, still able to deliver 26.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists, shooting 50.2%, shooting an average of 3.1 three-pointers per game, and shooting 41.6% of three-pointers, compared with last season, there was basically no big fluctuation, coupled with the tightening of penalty rules and the overall scoring of players this season, it can be said that Lavine's average of 26.3 points per game this season is actually more valuable than last season's average of 27.4 points per game. With such stats and team record, it is not an exaggeration to say that LaVine is becoming an NBA superstar. (Of course, he still needs to go through the test of the playoffs)
To be honest, Lavin's style of play is really flowing, and his offensive means are diverse, and he can do it with or without the ball, which is why he can be friendly and compatible with DeRozan. Data show that this season Lavin averaged 2.7 three-point shots per game, can hit 1.2 of them, the shooting rate is as high as 45%, he is not afraid of the opponent's strict defense, even in the face of tight pressure, the shooting rate is still more than 50%. And in terms of individual singles, as LaVine said, he learned a lot from DeRozan, who averaged 4 singles per game this season and scored 1.22 points per game, belonging to the league's top singles players, even more efficient than Durant. LaVine has also been clearly outstanding in singles this season, averaging 3.1 singles per game and scoring 1.08 points per possession. (Durant averaged 5 singles per game and scored 1.05 points per possession)
The offense has almost no dead ends
Unlike DeRozan's preference for mid-range, LaVine's offense is largely unconstrained, and he can both hit the basket and finish beyond the mid-range and three-point line. The data shows that this season, LaVine has made a total of 202 shots in the box, and has hit 129 of them, shooting 63.9% in the box, higher than the league average. In the middle distance position, LaVine also performed well, he has a number of areas shooting rate at or above 50%; and outside the three-point line, LaVine showed his most threatening place, 5 positions in the half-time three-point line, 3 of the shooting rate is above 44%, more than the league average, 2 shooting rate is at the league average, it can be said that LaVine is a three-point shooter without dead ends.
Lavin's attack is extremely threatening, he can frame the outside, he can hold the ball to initiate a block, and at the same time, he can also play low singles, making it difficult for opponents to defend. This season, LaVine has averaged 7.9 blocks per game and has scored 1.02 points per round, better than the 87.6% of players in the league.
Mr. Key
From Jordan to Rose, from Rose to Butler, and from Butler to Lavin and DeRozan, the Bulls star players seem to have their own super level play bonus at key moments. This season, LaVine played 14 games with key moments, averaging 3.2 minutes per game and averaging 3.6 points (9th in the league) from 51.7 percent. LaVine has a big heart, and last season's flowing three-point kill is still fresh in people's minds.
This season, the Bulls can play 22 wins and 10 losses, ranking second in the East, and Lavin is indispensable. As the Boss of the Bulls last season, after the arrival of DeRozan, he made a lot of sacrifices and gave the latter great support, when the two were on the field at the same time, DeRozan held the ball, Lavin opened up space for it, both sides played selflessly, and it is precisely because of this selflessness that the team can be monolithic and show strong combat effectiveness.