Any game attempting to become socially ingrained and massively popular must first be considered cool before being openly accepted. Michael Jordan’s sneakers allowed basketball to transcend sport and the league has lucked into coolness a dozen or so times along the way before accepting this reality.
Zach LaVine embodies the type of player the NBA needs in order to remain popular.
A two-time Slam Dunk champion, an Adidas athlete, an avid Instagram user for his 1.8 million followers and now, as he stands in front of his locker, he slings an intentionally ripped denim jacket with “rockstar’ on the back through one arm and then the next.
Dressed in all black aside from this jacket, one you’d likely see in a Snapchat news story rather than your neighborhood supermarket, he slips two wireless headphones into his pocket and briefly checks on something gleaming at the top of his locker.
All good, it’s still there.
He then turns his head towards the reporters huddled solely around him after a 113-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers revealing a shockingly well-manicured beard, indicating he is ready to be inundated with questions.
He answers them like most, little eye contact and athlete platitudes that have been uttered endless times in the visiting locker room at Staples Center. No other players were offered a similar opportunity to speak in a restrained manner to questions they had little interest in answering.
Just Zach LaVine. Just the man in Chicago now.
A franchise that touted another two-time slam dunk champion (and five-time regular champion) has now made LaVine their guy. A position not all believed was well suited for the high flyer who dunks with such aggressive grace that he resembles Superman gliding through the air on his way to punch a nemesis.
Despite his popularity, he was put into a box like most other people with mass popularity. He became “just a dunker” despite his jumper growing consistency, his ball handling developing a string, and outperforming his Canadian counterpart in Minnesota.
His jumper is one of the most exciting aspects of his game, a shot he “does not lack confidence” in when asked about how it feels coming off his ACL tear. Even though he is viewed as a rim attacker, 588 of his 841 total shots have been jump shots over the last two seasons. He has incredible lift off this shot and as head coach Fred Hoiberg stated, “He can get his shot off any time he wants. He is just one of those special players that can do that.”
His jumper has not been nearly as lethal so far this season but he is barely worried, “Your legs are here some nights and then they are not, so getting a feeling for them. Everything up top feels good.”
After missing so much time, it is very common to not instantly regain comfortability on the court. A problem right now for LaVine is passing up good shots, in the pursuit of great shots, and settling for bad shots.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg said that he thinks LaVine is “turning down some pretty darn good looks and turning them into tough shots.” This problem should subside as he spends more time playing. He should return to or surpass the 51EFG% he posted on jumpers last season. And, despite all of this, he still has a 51.6EFG% on pull-up jumpers on the year.
In a league that demands it’s players shoot with consistency and lethality, LaVine being able to get his shot off whenever he wants raises his ceiling.
With this, his ball handling has improved and he has been allotted more time in the pick and roll. Increasing his number of possessions to 7.3 per game this season and scoring .96 points per possession after the Timberwolves allowed him just 4 per game last season. For reference, Chris Paul averages 7.1 pick and rolls per game and just .94 points per possession.
He needs to go to the rack more consistently and draw fouls at a higher clip but he is still dunking at a rate he has his whole career and he views his role with the Bulls very clearly. He knows how he plays will heavily influence those around him, if they need to be more aggressive, he will go at the hoop. If they need more passing, he will distribute out of the pick and roll.
He has so much potential and a plethora of tools at his disposal to succeed in Chicago. The Bulls may be far off from being a playoff threat and even farther from championship contention but Lauri Markannen, Kris Dunn, and him are a foundation worthy of strong praise. It would not be all that surprising if LaVine and either or both of the Bulls rising stars equate to significant success in the future.
Zach LaVine possesses all of the trappings of superstardom off the court. He has a style and fashionability that the league craves and the potential to one day become the superstar player the Bulls need. Much like LaVine’s possibly tailored denim jacket, Chicago could prove to be a perfect fit.
