The Chicago Bulls season has quickly transformed into a backdrop for Zach LaVine’s breakout year. The star guard has elevated his game once again in 2020-21, averaging career highs in scoring and efficiency with the Bulls in the midst of a crowded playoff field in the Eastern Conference.
On Tuesday, when the coaches vote was revealed, LaVine was rewarded for his production by being named an All-Star reserve. Although he was not chosen as a starter for the game, LaVine finished third in player voting among Eastern Conference guards, which was higher than he finished on the fan or media lists.
In his fourth season with the Bulls, LaVine is averaging 28.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 51.8% from the field and 43.4% from the 3-point line — all career highs. LaVine’s scoring ranks seventh in the NBA, and his shooting efficiency has never been better as he ranks second in true shooting percentage (64.8%) among guards with at least a 20% usage rating, behind only Stephen Curry.
For LaVine, it was just a matter of time before he received his first All-Star nod.
“If it doesn’t happen for you, you just go in there and go for it next year,” LaVine said. “For me, I think it was going to happen. It was going to be a matter of time. I’m just happy that the team success we have is a big part of that. This is one of the best years I’ve played individually but team-success-wise too. So it’s very fulfilling.”
A two-time Slam Dunk contest winner and a 3-Point Contest participant a year ago, LaVine remains undecided about whether he will take part in the skills portion of All-Star Weekend in Atlanta. But he definitively ruled out a return to the dunk contest.
“Last year I was thinking about doing it, especially because it was in Chicago,” LaVine said. “But I’m a little bit past that now and we’ve got a lot of games left. I don’t want to lose my legs.”
LaVine became the first Bulls player to be named an All-Star since Jimmy Butler in 2016-17. The Bulls were eager to deal Butler after that All-Star appearance, and although trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves proved ill-advised, the return has finally netted another All-Star.
LaVine, who became the face of the franchise in recent years, knows the Bulls have to climb out of a deep well before competing in certain circles. He also is aware that individual accolades come with winning and was pleased to bring the spotlight back to the Bulls after the team went five years without an All-Star.
“It’s big,” he said. “It’s something where we have to go out there and earn that respect and do that as a team, not just individuals. So we’re moving in the right direction, and we’re just going to continue to climb that totem pole.”
LaVine was quick to credit Bulls coach Billy Donovan for bringing a different mentality to the team. For his part, Donovan has been just as supportive of LaVine.
“He’s learning, he’s evolving, he’s growing and he continues to get better,” Donovan said. “I’d imagine all the guys, coaches and players he’s played against this year would probably have the highest of praise for him if you just look at what he’s done and how efficient he’s been. It’s pretty remarkable.”
Donovan has praised LaVine and made it clear over the last few days he believed his star guard deserved to be in the game. His teammates stumped for and endorsed his candidacy, and LaVine drew notice from Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul and retired star Dwyane Wade on Twitter.
“Absolutely, I voted for Zach,” Bulls guard Ryan Arcidiacono said. “One, because I’m his teammate, but also he’s earned that right to be an All-Star this year. I think the league has taken notice of him, both sides of the basketball. His scoring efficiency has been crazy.”
Making the All-Star Game has been a goal for LaVine, one he was vocal about last season when the game was held in Chicago for the first time since 1988. He backed off campaigning for himself this year, so teammates picked up the slack while peers around the league also took notice.
But that didn’t erase the sting of last year. Had he made the game in Chicago, LaVine would have played in front of a packed home crowd. This year, there will be limited fans in Atlanta as spectators have been discouraged from making the trip.
LaVine acknowledged festivities will differ from years past, but he plans to appreciate the journey it took to get here. At this time in 2020, the NBA was less than a month from suspending its season. The Bulls have felt the effects of COVID-19 as they were forced to sit out the NBA bubble last summer and have had positive cases and game cancellations in 2020-21.
LaVine said he feels added validation from receiving this honor while enduring a season unlike any in league history.
“That’s something that a lot of people aren’t taking into consideration,” he said. “No one’s had a season like this before, and we’ll see what happens, but probably no one after us either. You definitely have to be mentally strong, and there’s a lot of different types of adversity.
“It would have been great for me to make it in Chicago last year. I was a little upset about that, just because it was in my home state. I really wanted to represent for that. But I’m glad I have this (year) and I can go out there and represent the city of Chicago now.”
Now that LaVine has completed this goal, the obvious question comes: What’s next? And though LaVine listed a few things he would like to accomplish, he made winning the focal point.
“Growing up, you always look at those things,” he said. “I want to be an NBA champion. As an individual thing, that’s something that you want to do. You want to be MVP of a championship team. But the team concept is now switched with me. It’s got to come first because without that, you don’t get the individual accolades.”
LaVine has long been criticized as an “empty-calories” scorer because his production has not led to winning. But the Bulls are playing some of their best basketball of the last few years despite inconsistent performances from their young players — especially Patrick Williams and Coby White — and injuries to their frontcourt, including Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr.
LaVine has also done his best to disprove labels placed on him during the Bulls’ struggles early in his career. His decision making and playmaking have improved as he cut down on turnovers this month, and his defense, while still a work in progress, is showing signs of an uptick.
“There was maybe a point in time where he just thought, ‘OK, I’m going to try and carry the team on my back offensively and try to score points,’ ” Donovan said. “He’s realized that there’s more to it than that. He’s trying to do a lot of the other things on both ends of the floor to impact the team and winning.”
