Lets talk Zach Lavine

WindyCityBorn · Post #1081 » by **WindyCityBorn** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:38 pm

FriedRise wrote:

Read on Twitter

Literally only players on his level with that shot are Dame, Curry, Harden, Luka, Young and Irving. Basically the elite of the elite offensive players.

JohnnyTapwater · Post #1082 » by **JohnnyTapwater** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:48 pm

Zach is making so many people look stupid and I love it.

The Box Office · Post #1083 » by **The Box Office** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:09 am

JohnnyTapwater wrote:Zach is making so many people look stupid and I love it.

I have no problem with that. If LaVine can lead us to the playoffs and get a couple of playoff wins then I'll change my stance to....

WindyCityBorn · Post #1084 » by **WindyCityBorn** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:00 am

The Box Office wrote:
JohnnyTapwater wrote:Zach is making so many people look stupid and I love it.

I have no problem with that. If LaVine can lead us to the playoffs and get a couple of playoff wins then I'll change my stance to....

The team around him is awful. If he keeps around .500 all season that will be a tremendous feat. If he had not broken out just imagine how about our outlook would be right now. We would legit be the most hopeless team in the league.

Hold That · Post #1085 » by **Hold That** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:54 am

WindyCityBorn wrote:
The Box Office wrote:
JohnnyTapwater wrote:Zach is making so many people look stupid and I love it.

I have no problem with that. If LaVine can lead us to the playoffs and get a couple of playoff wins then I'll change my stance to....

The team around him is awful. If he keeps around .500 all season that will be a tremendous feat. If he had not broken out just imagine how about our outlook would be right now. We would legit be the most hopeless team in the league.

Exactly. People are expecting him to win a couple of playoff games? What!?! We don’t even have a clear answer on who our second best player is. And it’s not a case where others have picked up their games snd it’s hard to tell. It’s a case where everyone else looks mediocre or just flat out bad.

WindyCityBorn · Post #1086 » by **WindyCityBorn** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:09 am

Hold That wrote:
WindyCityBorn wrote:
The Box Office wrote:
I have no problem with that. If LaVine can lead us to the playoffs and get a couple of playoff wins then I'll change my stance to....

The team around him is awful. If he keeps around .500 all season that will be a tremendous feat. If he had not broken out just imagine how about our outlook would be right now. We would legit be the most hopeless team in the league.

Exactly. People are expecting him to win a couple of playoff games? What!?! We don’t even have a clear answer on who our second best player is. And it’s not a case where others have picked up their games snd it’s hard to tell. It’s a case where everyone else looks mediocre or just flat out bad.

The goal posts just keep moving.

StunnerKO · Post #1087 » by **StunnerKO** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:40 am

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Andi Obst · Post #1088 » by **Andi Obst** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:05 am

All Star reserves will be announced tonight. Really hope he makes it, but I still think it's going to be super tough. Give us good news, Woj or Shams...

The Box Office · Post #1089 » by **The Box Office** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:02 am

LaVine is looking for $30 million. He IS. I don't need a written public statement from his agent denying it.

Real life negotiations are really nasty. Bulls front office will have ALL the paperwork and data to discuss their position if they're NOT going to pay. LaVine and his agent need to have winning results to build their case that LaVine is worth the commitment. Management will discuss every single detail.

If I was LaVine, I'd be demanding $30 million as well. Because I KNOW how desperate Chicago is to secure a 26 year old averaging 29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists. In my mind, I'm thinking, "After all I've done, Bulls don't wanna pay that? Then stop wasting my time. There are other teams offering $30 mill."

When a team pays any player $30 million per year, that's a mega huge sign that the team will build around that particular player. If I was the GM, I'm definitely NOT building around a player who has never made the playoffs and always been on losing teams. I don't care if he's 26/27.

The fact is LaVine has never been on any .500 or above team. He has to lead this team to the playoffs this year. This is his best shot and he's the healthiest he's ever been. LaVine is clicking on all cylinders. This is the best team he's ever been on. Besides, we're in the mix for playoffs right now.

WE ARE THE 8th SEED CURRENTLY as I'm typing this.

Now, if we get there, the team has to win something. Did we get there just to get swept? LOL

Hell, I'll shorten the goal posts for y'all. Win ONE Playoff game and LaVine has a good chance of getting his $30 Million per season. 2 playoff wins secures his mega big pay day. Hell, I'm not even looking for a playoff series win.

Zach LaVine has a losing track record. For years. This is a fact. No one is moving the goal posts on THAT ONE. Obviously, it takes a lot to remove the loser stench and, to me, this is what it's gonna take. I really like LaVine. I think he's a cool guy. But this is business. There have been plenty of stars traded so it's nothing new.

If you love LaVine so much then his fans should be confident that he can fulfill it this season. If I was the GM, I would be more than happy to ink him to his big time contract if he does it. Are you confident in LaVine? Are you not confident in him?

If Bulls is a lottery team again this year, why would AKME want to build around LaVine?

We'll see. We're in the mix. I really like where we are at. Huge props to LaVine. The difference in the standings is very small though. It's a grueling fight from here on.

CobyWhite0 · Post #1090 » by **CobyWhite0** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:21 pm

There's not going to be any negotiations next summer for Zach - either the Bulls will give him the max, or he'll get it from another team. It's really that simple.

TheFinishSniper · Post #1091 » by **TheFinishSniper** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:46 pm

CobyWhite0 wrote:There's not going to be any negotiations next summer for Zach - either the Bulls will give him the max, or he'll get it from another team. It's really that simple.

And before that Bulls need to go all in to find 2nd piece. When Zach gets max there is no rebuilding anymore. What we do now year from now is where will be 5 next years.

Post #1092 » by **DuckIII** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:01 pm

Ugh, people inflate team performance too much in evaluating players.

It makes sense if you are talking about an inefficient stat padding volume scorer on a bad team, but that’s about it.

Regardless, the Bulls won’t make that superficial error. Lavine will get maxed and it will be as a Bull.

sco · Post #1093 » by **sco** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:28 pm

TheFinishSniper wrote:
CobyWhite0 wrote:There's not going to be any negotiations next summer for Zach - either the Bulls will give him the max, or he'll get it from another team. It's really that simple.

And before that Bulls need to go all in to find 2nd piece. When Zach gets max there is no rebuilding anymore. What we do now year from now is where will be 5 next years.

First of all, MAX contracts are rarely the right price for guys...it tends to be either a significant overpay or underpay. In Zach's case, given his age and production, I think it's close to fair with a chance for an underpay if he continues to improve.

I think improving through the draft will become harder for NBA teams when the one and done rule goes anyway. The ability for GM's to rank guys with 4 years of college and guys coming out of HS with any precision is gonna be very hampered, which means, good teams will have a better chance to nab great players later in the draft.

Stratmaster · Post #1094 » by **Stratmaster** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:33 pm

WindyCityBorn wrote:
Hold That wrote:
WindyCityBorn wrote:
The team around him is awful. If he keeps around .500 all season that will be a tremendous feat. If he had not broken out just imagine how about our outlook would be right now. We would legit be the most hopeless team in the league.

Exactly. People are expecting him to win a couple of playoff games? What!?! We don’t even have a clear answer on who our second best player is. And it’s not a case where others have picked up their games snd it’s hard to tell. It’s a case where everyone else looks mediocre or just flat out bad.

The goal posts just keep moving.

Soon it will be "if he actually wins a playoff series". Then it will be "if he gets to the finals". Then it will be "if he actually wins the chip instead of only getting us to the Finals".

And then we will win the championship but it will be because of Pat Williams.

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

WindyCityBorn · Post #1095 » by **WindyCityBorn** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:12 pm

The Box Office wrote:LaVine is looking for $30 million. He IS. I don't need a written public statement from his agent denying it.

Real life negotiations are really nasty. Bulls front office will have ALL the paperwork and data to discuss their position if they're NOT going to pay. LaVine and his agent need to have winning results to build their case that LaVine is worth the commitment. Management will discuss every single detail.

If I was LaVine, I'd be demanding $30 million as well. Because I KNOW how desperate Chicago is to secure a 26 year old averaging 29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists. In my mind, I'm thinking, "After all I've done, Bulls don't wanna pay that? Then stop wasting my time. There are other teams offering $30 mill."

When a team pays any player $30 million per year, that's a mega huge sign that the team will build around that particular player. If I was the GM, I'm definitely NOT building around a player who has never made the playoffs and always been on losing teams. I don't care if he's 26/27.

The fact is LaVine has never been on any .500 or above team. He has to lead this team to the playoffs this year. This is his best shot and he's the healthiest he's ever been. LaVine is clicking on all cylinders. This is the best team he's ever been on. Besides, we're in the mix for playoffs right now.

WE ARE THE 8th SEED CURRENTLY as I'm typing this.

Now, if we get there, the team has to win something. Did we get there just to get swept? LOL

Hell, I'll shorten the goal posts for y'all. Win ONE Playoff game and LaVine has a good chance of getting his $30 Million per season. 2 playoff wins secures his mega big pay day. Hell, I'm not even looking for a playoff series win.

Zach LaVine has a losing track record. For years. This is a fact. No one is moving the goal posts on THAT ONE. Obviously, it takes a lot to remove the loser stench and, to me, this is what it's gonna take. I really like LaVine. I think he's a cool guy. But this is business. There have been plenty of stars traded so it's nothing new.

If you love LaVine so much then his fans should be confident that he can fulfill it this season. If I was the GM, I would be more than happy to ink him to his big time contract if he does it. Are you confident in LaVine? Are you not confident in him?

If Bulls is a lottery team again this year, why would AKME want to build around LaVine?

We'll see. We're in the mix. I really like where we are at. Huge props to LaVine. The difference in the standings is very small though. It's a grueling fight from here on.

Basketball is a team sport in case you forgot.

FriedRise · Post #1096 » by **FriedRise** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:14 pm

Zach predicts Zach

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East Starters:
Beal, Harden, Giannis, Durant, Embiid

East Reserves:
Tatum, Brown, Bam, Kyrie, Simmons, Randle, Lavine

nekorajo · Post #1097 » by **nekorajo** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:24 pm

CobyWhite0 wrote:There's not going to be any negotiations next summer for Zach - either the Bulls will give him the max, or he'll get it from another team. It's really that simple.

Facts. At this point Zach is clearly the most valuable part of this organization. Kudos to Pax for making that trade. It'll be interesting to see if the GM starts considering Zach's input on roster decisions.

FriedRise · Post #1098 » by **FriedRise** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:03 pm

3 of 4 Inside the NBA crew picked Zach, including Chuck who obviously had said that the Bulls are the worst team in the NBA just a couple months ago.

Read on Twitter

detlef_schrempf · Post #1099 » by **detlef_schrempf** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:12 pm

JohnnyTapwater wrote:Zach is making so many people look stupid and I love it.

There's a local radio duo in town on ESPN 1000 from 6-8 PM. They have been against Zach and wrong about Zach over and over since the trade, all the way into last year when they got their own show.

Now that they are clearly wrong about Zach, they are refusing to admit it and have even doubled down. They say Zach needs to be traded but provide no possible offers that would make sense - because there aren't any. They don't do their homework, they double down when they are wrong. Unlike other radio hosts with hot takes, these two aren't doing a hot take. They've been wrong about him from the beginning.

Not the best strategy guys. Admit you are wrong, and maybe people will listen. As it is, I no longer tune into them when I'm in the car from 6-8 as it's unbearable to listen to such foolishness.

Even when Zach was still developing and not the greatest when he first came to town, he was still fun to watch in my opinion. Now his hard work is paying off and doofuses like this radio duo clearly don't watch much of the games and just blabber about their uneducated opinions.

We need to trade for a second star, or sign one. Not trade Zach for middling or late first rounders. He's 25, 7 years of prime ball left.

The Explorer · Post #1100 » by **The Explorer** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:33 pm

Nick Friedell came on the nbc podcast the other day and was asked about Lavine. His take was in line with Cowley's take - that he is not deserving of max money and it makes sense to trade him now. If Bulls didn't give Butler who is better that kind of money, then why should they give Lavine that money?

This of course completely misses the point. First of all, if you trade Lavine, who are getting back that is equal to or better? That guy doesn't appear to exist. Secondly, the Butler trade was bad at the time, but that doesn't mean you make the same mistake again. You learn your lesson as an organization and don't trade away star players that have developed well. Otherwise you're perpetually trading away talent waiting for them to hit their payday and never taking the next step at winning. How the hell are you supposed to be a contender if you trade away stars only to keep searching for the next star? It makes no sense.

What to do with Zach Lavine?