After a slow start to the season due to a recovery process from an off-season knee surgery, Chicago Bulls wingman Zach LaVine has finally caught his stride. He’s averaging robust numbers of 28.8 points on 51% shooting, including 42% from beyond the arc over his last 10 games. However, despite those stellar numbers, the Bulls have gone only 3-7 over that stretch and are in danger of missing the play-in tournament.
On a tear
LaVine admits that he’s finally caught a rhythm, which included the match-up against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday where he scored 42 points on 13-of-23 shooting, including five three-pointers in a 125-122 loss. It was his second 40-point performance in the Bulls’ last three games.
“I’ve been in attack mode all month,” LaVine said. “I felt the same way. I think that’s just me continuing to — I’ve caught my rhythm the last couple of months and just (need to) keep playing the same way.”
Showing an aggressive approach that was mostly absent during the early part of the season, LaVine has been leveraging his deadly three-point shot to create lanes to the basket where he can either finish with a flourish or initiate contact and draw fouls. To that end, the UCLA product has been taking over seven free-throws a game, two up from his career average.
Bulls need this type of play from LaVine
While Chicago doesn’t have much to show in the win column during LaVine’s recent brilliance, Bulls coach Billy Donovan said Zach’s aggressiveness is integral to their success. Especially since they’re not a team that is fond of hoisting up a lot of three-pointers.
“When you look at our profile, if you’re not going to take a lot of 3s and make a lot of 3s, we’ve got to get to the free-throw line, and we’ve got to attack the basket,” Donovan said. “More importantly, we’ve got to get out in transition on misses. We’ve got to capitalize more on missed opportunities because our defense has been good. There’s an opportunity for us to do it. And I think when Zach is in that mode, I think it opens up things for him.”
Source: yardbarker.com
