Bulls' Zach LaVine Annoyed by Benching: 'You Play a Guy Like Me Down the Stretch'

[Lebron23]

https://media.bleacherreport.com/image/upload/w_800,h_533,c_fill/v1668866735/k7hjzejvhspmypuopz8t.jpg


Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine questioned the decision by head coach Billy Donovan to bench him for the final four minutes of Friday night's 108-107 home loss to the Orlando Magic.

LaVine struggled mightily with his shot throughout the contest, going 1-of-14 from the field with an 0-of-5 mark on threes, but the two-time All-Star felt he should have still been on the floor in crunch time.

"I gotta do a better job at the beginning of the game to make my shots, but you play a guy like me down the stretch," LaVine told reporters. "That's what I do. Do I like the decision? No. Do I have to live with it? Yeah. Be ready to put my shoes on and play the next game."

The Bulls, who trailed by 14 at halftime, were able to make a surge in the third quarter with LaVine on the sideline, and head coach Billy Donovan decided it was best to bring him back to the bench as the team attempted to complete the complete in the final minutes.

"I feel like my job, my responsibility in those moments is to try to make the best decisions for the team," Donovan said. "And I thought that was the best decision at the time. To me, I don't look at it as anything else but the one-off game where this is what was going on. I know he wanted to be out there. There's probably not very many games in his career where [LaVine] hasn't been out there in those moments, but that group was playing well and it gave us a chance."

LaVine's four points were his fewest in a game so far this season and marked his lowest total since Jan. 14, when he failed to score in four minutes before getting hurt in a game against the Golden State Warriors.

The 27-year-old UCLA product is one of the NBA's most lethal scorers when his shot is clicking, but that wasn't the case Friday, which left Donovan in a difficult situation.


"Just ask him what his decision was, what made him think that way," LaVine said when asked if he would discuss the situation with Donovan. "Obviously, he wanted to go with some other guys out there, I wasn't having the best night shooting, but it's a tough one."

He added: "I've missed a lot of shots, but I've had a lot of games where I've played terribly and in four, five minutes put up 15, 16 points. I just wasn't able to shoot the next shot."

More importantly, the Bulls' fourth straight loss dropped the team to 6-10 overall with a lackluster 4-5 mark at home. Things don't get any easier with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks the next two opponents on the schedule.

LaVine will attempt to rediscover his shooting stroke ahead of Monday's clash with Boston, the squad's last home game before starting a six-game road trip.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10056155-bulls-zach-lavine-annoyed-by-benching-you-play-a-guy-like-me-down-the-stretch

[WhiteKyrie]

Correct response from coach and player.

[PeroAntic]

The Bulls' problem is that Pat Williams and Coby White never developed and made the leap. These two were supposed to round up the squad esp defensively. Add to that Vuc declining rapidly and Lonzo being constantly injured and you can see why its not Lavine or Derozan that is the problem.

[WhiteKyrie]

Lavine has issues as a player. That can’t be side stepped. He couldn’t find other ways to contribute, because he’s a one dimensional scorer, who doesn’t even have profound take over the game, or stretches of the season impact scoring. He can create, facilitate and distribute. He’s not a good pastor. And he’s an atrocious defender. He’s a more athletic, aesthetically pleasing Kevin Martin from the mid to late 2000s. Colby White at times has shown some dimension to his game. Vuj I was never high on to begin with. Also, referring to himself in third person at the level of player he is, a little weird. Also, kind of Adaline to criticize your coach for correctly taking you out of the game when you’re shooting absolutely putrid Lee, and you’re not bringing any other net positive to the game.

[ArbitraryWater]

Lavine has issues as a player. That can’t be side stepped. He couldn’t find other ways to contribute, because he’s a one dimensional scorer, who doesn’t even have profound take over the game, or stretches of the season impact scoring. He can create, facilitate and distribute. He’s not a good pastor. And he’s an atrocious defender. He’s a more athletic, aesthetically pleasing Kevin Martin from the mid to late 2000s. Colby White at times has shown some dimension to his game. Vuj I was never high on to begin with. Also, referring to himself in third person at the level of player he is, a little weird. Also, kind of Adaline to criticize your coach for correctly taking you out of the game when you’re shooting absolutely putrid Lee, and you’re not bringing any other net positive to the game.

can create and facilitate? pastor? Colby? Adaline?

Lol

He didn't speak of himself in third person either

[ShawkFactory]

Lavine has issues as a player. That can’t be side stepped. He couldn’t find other ways to contribute, because he’s a one dimensional scorer, who doesn’t even have profound take over the game, or stretches of the season impact scoring. He can create, facilitate and distribute. He’s not a good pastor. And he’s an atrocious defender. He’s a more athletic, aesthetically pleasing Kevin Martin from the mid to late 2000s. Colby White at times has shown some dimension to his game. Vuj I was never high on to begin with. Also, referring to himself in third person at the level of player he is, a little weird. Also, kind of Adaline to criticize your coach for correctly taking you out of the game when you’re shooting absolutely putrid Lee, and you’re not bringing any other net positive to the game.

He is a textbook case of arguing stats without context being dumb.

[PeroAntic]

He is a textbook case of arguing stats without context being dumb.

The context is that there are usually super athletic rim finishers, and elite 3pt shooters, and if you are one of the two, youre very unlikely to be the other as well. Lavine is an exception. Hes Vince Carter of the modern era.

[ShawkFactory]

The context is that there are usually super athletic rim finishers, and elite 3pt shooters, and if you are one of the two, youre very unlikely to be the other as well. Lavine is an exception. Hes Vince Carter of the modern era.

Their attributes are similar, sure. Lavine doesn't have the IQ that VC had though. I was a huge KAT guy when he came out and was always propping him up to my boys but every time we watched it was Lavine jacking up a terrible shot. Sometimes he'd make it but it always kind of sucked the energy out of the offense.

People look at VC as a dunker/shooter who wasn't great defensively. All of those things are true, but he was always a guy who picked his spots and didn't operate outside of a team concept. In the latter stages of his career he was a guy mentoring the young guys on the Hawks how to play the game. I could be wrong but I don't see the that type of future for Lavine.

[PeroAntic]

Lavine plays tons of his game off the ball, making all kinds of cuts to the rim and slaloming around pindowns to take an outside shot. This takes intelligence. He passes a lot too, so hes not a selfish player. Also his shooting numbers show that he is efficient. If he takes ill advised shots once in a while, its because he is such a good shot maker that he can get overconfident.

A greatly underrated player but he doesn't like to hog the ball or the headlines, does what is asked of him and then when the Bulls lose because he plays within the system he gets all the shit as the team's star.

[ShawkFactory]

Lavine plays tons of his game off the ball, making all kinds of cuts to the rim and slaloming around pindowns to take an outside shot. This takes intelligence. He passes a lot too, so hes not a selfish player. Also his shooting numbers show that he is efficient. If he takes ill advised shots once in a while, its because he is such a good shot maker that he can get overconfident.

A greatly underrated player but he doesn't like to hog the ball or the headlines, does what is asked of him and then when the Bulls lose because he plays within the system he gets all the shit as the team's star.

Most good players, and particularly shooters, can slalom through defenses and look for their opening. That's what makes them good.

Lavine just never struck me as a guy who could make the right plays at the right time. The impact numbers back this up despite his efficiency.

[RRR3]

Most good players, and particularly shooters, can slalom through defenses and look for their opening. That's what makes them good.

Lavine just never struck me as a guy who could make the right plays at the right time. The impact numbers back this up despite his efficiency.
His impact numbers aren’t great because his defense is horrendous. He is a great scorer it just gets minimized by his horrid defense.

[ShawkFactory]

His impact numbers aren’t great because his defense is horrendous. He is a great scorer it just gets minimized by his horrid defense.

Is he a great scorer though? Of course he's very good but Derozan is the guy with the ball in crunchtime scenarios.

[RRR3]

Is he a great scorer though? Of course he's very good but Derozan is the guy with the ball in crunchtime scenarios.
I’d say a guy who can average 27+ on elite efficiency is a great scorer by any reasonable definition lol.

[ShawkFactory]

I’d say a guy who can average 27+ on elite efficiency is a great scorer by any reasonable definition lol.

I mean...he did that once and missed 25 games that year and they didn't make the playoffs. He's not a perineal 27 elite efficiency guy.

[imdaman99]

I remember watching a few games earlier in his career and when he passed the ball and didn't get it back, he put his head down and gave up on the play on offense. He's not a winning player, period.

[Full Court]

I mean...he did that once and missed 25 games that year and they didn't make the playoffs. He's not a perineal 27 elite efficiency guy.

Exactly. He's an above average scorer who's a liability on defense and can't be counted on to carry the team in key moments.

Benching him was a sound decision. Now they just need to trade him.

[Smook A.]

I remember watching a few games earlier in his career and when he passed the ball and didn't get it back, he put his head down and gave up on the play on offense. He's not a winning player, period.

This

[WhiteKyrie]

I remember watching a few games earlier in his career and when he passed the ball and didn't get it back, he put his head down and gave up on the play on offense. He's not a winning player, period.

Sounds like Russell Westbrick, sans the hollow triple double counting stats

[HoopologyPhD]

LaTrine, Ash Trae and evin booker are the definition of low impact empty stat players. I am a bit on the fence about Morant, but hopefully him and SGA will be decent.

[PeroAntic]

Exactly. He's an above average scorer who's a liability on defense and can't be counted on to carry the team in key moments.

Benching him was a sound decision. Now they just need to trade him.

Benching him was a good decision in the particular game because he was cold. But trading him based on one game after he has been one of the best scorers in the game for several seasons would be ridiculous.

btw he has plenty of examples of carrying the team in key moments, none more spectacular than this one


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ9pnTcGwxs


But Derozan has seniority so Lavine defers to him in the clutch.

[WhiteKyrie]

But Derozan has seniority so Lavine defers to him in the clutch.

That’s not the only reason, Hoss

[WhiteKyrie]

LaTrine, Ash Trae and evin booker are the definition of low impact empty stat players. I am a bit on the fence about Morant, but hopefully him and SGA will be decent.

How are you remotely on the fence with Ja?

He’s already changed the culture in Memphis and has been the key figurehead in there turn around.

Also last year in the playoffs, was utterly dog walking Steph Curry, who when Ja Morant went down with injury, was visibly the best player in the entire playoffs.

And Ja was absolutely embarrassing him. Memphis would’ve won that series if he didn’t go down with an injury and could’ve already been champs by now.

They were the only team to give GS trouble.

[red1]

they need lonzo



when they had their full perimeter weapons last year - even early in the year - I knew they would be a threat.



its a story old as time - they just never have all of their perimeter guys at once.






someone is always out and in this case it's lonzo. lonzo is crucial because he is one of the only pointguards in the league that can defend 2's and 3's- I'd argue his defense against shooting guards is elite.




you cant play in the league right now and expect to win if you cant guard wings

[red1]

I feel lavine's pain because he obviously is an elite scorer but if he's 0-5 on threes and 1-14 overall and his defense is average at best - that's an obvious liability and the right move from donovan



again the problem isn't offense.

[Real Men Wear Green]

He used to be an excellent scorer. Coming back from an injury he is not the same athletically and may take some time to be the player he should be whether he can admit that to himself or not. It is good that he believes in himself and wants to play but he maybe should find other ways to help beyond scoring right now if his offense isn't where it should be yet. Should really try and be a better all-around player regardless, for a long time he was a great athlete and poor defender and a good athlete should never be a bad defender.

[imdaman99]

Sounds like Russell Westbrick, sans the hollow triple double counting stats

Sounds like kyrie Irving. Westbrook has a great record when he gets a triple double

[Xiao Yao You]

they need lonzo



when they had their full perimeter weapons last year - even early in the year - I knew they would be a threat.



its a story old as time - they just never have all of their perimeter guys at once.






someone is always out and in this case it's lonzo. lonzo is crucial because he is one of the only pointguards in the league that can defend 2's and 3's- I'd argue his defense against shooting guards is elite.




you cant play in the league right now and expect to win if you cant guard wings


can't count on Ball though. He's always hurt

[PeroAntic]

He used to be an excellent scorer. Coming back from an injury he is not the same athletically and may take some time to be the player he should be whether he can admit that to himself or not. It is good that he believes in himself and wants to play but he maybe should find other ways to help beyond scoring right now if his offense isn't where it should be yet. Should really try and be a better all-around player regardless, for a long time he was a great athlete and poor defender and a good athlete should never be a bad defender.
Lavine is one of many great athletes that have great downhill speed, but are not good at lateral movement. He tries on defense more than in his early days, he gets into passing lanes but reaction time is just not something you can teach.

[WhiteKyrie]

Sounds like kyrie Irving. Westbrook has a great record when he gets a triple double

Westbrick is a known overrated loser. Kyrie has helped assist in performing at a high clutch level to deliver a professional basketball championship. Westbrick is constantly in trade talks. Kyrie is the better basketball player.

[imdaman99]

Imagine some jabroni that pretends to be a coach for internet clout calling anyone in the NBA a loser :roll:

Westbrook has been in trade talks when he requested trades and just the past couple of years with the Lakers. Imagine getting traded in your prime :oldlol:

Try to stay on topic though, Lavine is not a winning player.