Zach Lavine appreciation thread

[panthermark]

Good luck Zach!
Very underappreciated here, but to be fair, there wasn't much winning outside of that 1/2 season.

A few more games and he would have bumped Toni for 10th all time on the assist list and was closing in on #4 on the all time scoring list.

[sco]

I think Zach was a true pro through this process, which is more than 90% of the NBA would be mentally capable of.

While I think Zach can thrive on a team where he's clearly not the best player, I'm not sure he'll be that on the Kings. Zach's biggest impediment to winning is that he has this annoying tendency to try to do more than he is capable of (which he is unaware of but opponents are) and leads to bad outcomes in critical moments.

[donaldtrump_00]

I like lavine as a player. Seems like a very likable guy all around. We had him as a 22 year old and he's progressed his game year by year. This version of him is by far his very best. I'd prefer to have kept him. It's heartbreaking because he's played here for a long time. But the Bulls made a decision to go younger. There's no doubt that we'll be good again. By cleaning house you now go for best player available. I'm upset because we've seen this team go above and beyond for the 2021-22 season before lonzo ball got hurt. Ayo was so trash that season after he was put as a starter. He needed time to grow. He eventually did and surpassed lonzo lately.

I like the kirk hinrich comparison he's grown into. Like all bulls fans we've been here before. Losing a star player happens. It's no longer about losing a star player,it's about getting young help for that star player. It hurts knowing that we had players who are good enough to be apart of championship team,but we could never find the right talent to put around them.we rushed the rebuild after Jimmy butler. But the fan base helped self destruct the team because they'll always listen to the fans once everyone begins to cry. And when you want more and more and the front office caves in to your demands it leads to making moves to fast. Bringing in vets and once something goes wrong fans complain more. For future advice, just shut up and wait. Stop forcing the team to expand faster than the talent we have. If we swing and miss on a rookie that means we swong and missed. That means it's a longer rebuild. It's not always the fans fault. Lavine complained about leaving if he didn't get help. That's when billy donavan was brought in and we traded for vucevic. That rebuild was rushed. Patrick Williams didn't pan out. Lauri markkanen was progressing backwards. They should've kept tanking. Just because a tank goes wrong doesn't mean you derail it. But zach lavine became very good and we didn't find the right help for him. I hope he keeps his numbers up in Sacramento. Our owners suck. It's so embarrassing to have a great market and still not be good.

[drosestruts]

Zach will be another player that can be talked about forever with "what if" scenarios around his time in Chicago.

Much like Jimmy Butler, I feel we never properly built a team around Zach. Sure we added talent in both instances, but not talent that seems to fit with undoubtedly our best player.

Were we let down by Zach or did we let down Zach? I lean towards the latter.

Zach is one of the best scorers in the entire NBA. His scoring and efficiency over the last 5 years is really only rivaled by players like Curry and Durant.

Many will point to our lack of success during his time - which again for me just goes back to the question - were we let down by Zach or did we let down Zach.

We had horrible coaches (Hoiberg and Boylen) and some god awful rosters. Not sure any superstar is elevating a roster with a young Coby, Lauri, WCJ, and Garrret Temple to anything worthwhile.

I think about the phrase - you don't know what you got till it's done. I think this will be particularly relevant for Zach LaVine and those who underappreciated him during his time in Chicago.

You'll dream of draft picks that you'll inevitably turn on after three years, and maybe one day come to realize how talented Zach was.


It will kind of be fun to watch a bizzaro version of the Bulls out in Sacramento. I expect it won't be much fun watching our Bulls for the rest of the year.

[NZB2323]

Despite all my criticisms, Zach was incredibly hard working, professional, and by all accounts a great teammate.

Sabonis is one of my favorite players in the NBA and I think that the Kings will be fun to watch and score a lot of points, but I don’t know how they’ll get any stops.

[Indomitable]

Zach will be another player that can be talked about forever with "what if" scenarios around his time in Chicago.

Much like Jimmy Butler, I feel we never properly built a team around Zach. Sure we added talent in both instances, but not talent that seems to fit with undoubtedly our best player.

Were we let down by Zach or did we let down Zach? I lean towards the latter.

Zach is one of the best scorers in the entire NBA. His scoring and efficiency over the last 5 years is really only rivaled by players like Curry and Durant.

Many will point to our lack of success during his time - which again for me just goes back to the question - were we let down by Zach or did we let down Zach.

We had horrible coaches (Hoiberg and Boylen) and some god awful rosters. Not sure any superstar is elevating a roster with a young Coby, Lauri, WCJ, and Garrret Temple to anything worthwhile.

I think about the phrase - you don't know what you got till it's done. I think this will be particularly relevant for Zach LaVine and those who underappreciated him during his time in Chicago.

You'll dream of draft picks that you'll inevitably turn on after three years, and maybe one day come to realize how talented Zach was.


It will kind of be fun to watch a bizzaro version of the Bulls out in Sacramento. I expect it won't be much fun watching our Bulls for the rest of the year.

Me I am watching Milwaukee and Denver. I was rooting for the Denver scenario for him.

He would have been awesome with Westbrook and Jokic.

[Wingy]

At least Sacramento is nice and warm, and gets him closer to home (PNW) and summer home (LA).

(This makes me feel slightly better that a player I like is going from one crap franchise to another crap franchise)

[DASMACKDOWN]

I will miss Zach.

He brought a lot of excitement to Chicago for the last 8 years. We will certainly miss those dunks and that amazing efficiency as a shooter. I wish him nothing but the best in Sactown.

[MrSparkle]

Ok I guess this is the cordial necessary thread.

My honest 2c: hated the Jimmy trade. Hated his style of game - low IQ, turnover prone, iso heavy, chucker, forcing the issue, bad D. Hated trading a top-10 26yo for a guy coming off ACL surgery. I hate counting a guy off for an injury, but nobody comes back from the ACL or heel injury and has a rosy career. There will be some ups and more downs.

The 80/4 deal was a nice break. Fair deal imo, not underpaid. His first 2y with Billy, he really improved a lot and deserved atleast 1 of those ASGs. I liked the direction until Lonzo’s mystery injury lingered another whole season. I think Zach should’ve been moved at that point- period. The looming max was more “get a move on this trade without letting him walk”, and they waited too long.

The positives: he always played great with Lonzo. The 40-games-in-4Y Showtime Bulls were a lot of fun. Aside for the Noc-hustle and Rose-mvp seasons, that Caruso-Zach-Lonzo-Demar-Javonte squad was the most fun Bulls basketball since 98. It was just very very short lived.

Zach is a top-50 scorer in the NBA. Sinks when you consider his lackluster defensive awareness, and his efficiency drops a lot when he’s hurt. His usage and play right now are excellent, and contenders should’ve bought low on him. He’s gonna be $49M of expiring cash in 2027. If Kings play it right (which is a big if), they’re gonna make the Bulls look even more dumb. But it was 150% time to move on.

[samwana]

Thanks for your time here Zach, sorry you have to play with DDR again.

You have had really bad luck during your time here with stupid coaching and bad management

[MGB8]

It was fun. Best of luck.

[WindyCityBorn]

Just watched the Bulls official tribute video and it made me much sadder than I expected. What makes it worse is he didn’t even get traded to winning situation.

[Stratmaster]

Ok I guess this is the cordial necessary thread.

My honest 2c: hated the Jimmy trade. Hated his style of game - low IQ, turnover prone, iso heavy, chucker, forcing the issue, bad D. Hated trading a top-10 26yo for a guy coming off ACL surgery. I hate counting a guy off for an injury, but nobody comes back from the ACL or heel injury and has a rosy career. There will be some ups and more downs.

The 80/4 deal was a nice break. Fair deal imo, not underpaid. His first 2y with Billy, he really improved a lot and deserved atleast 1 of those ASGs. I liked the direction until Lonzo’s mystery injury lingered another whole season. I think Zach should’ve been moved at that point- period. The looming max was more “get a move on this trade without letting him walk”, and they waited too long.

The positives: he always played great with Lonzo. The 40-games-in-4Y Showtime Bulls were a lot of fun. Aside for the Noc-hustle and Rose-mvp seasons, that Caruso-Zach-Lonzo-Demar-Javonte squad was the most fun Bulls basketball since 98. It was just very very short lived.

Zach is a top-50 scorer in the NBA. Sinks when you consider his lackluster defensive awareness, and his efficiency drops a lot when he’s hurt. His usage and play right now are excellent, and contenders should’ve bought low on him. He’s gonna be $49M of expiring cash in 2027. If Kings play it right (which is a big if), they’re gonna make the Bulls look even more dumb. But it was 150% time to move on.

Thank you for validating my earlier post.

[Sinistar6]

Huge fan since ucla!! Made my dream come true coming to Chicago. I thought he would grow to perennial all star mvp type but not in the cards. Athleticism and offensive upside off the charts. Good luck in Sacro!!!! I look forward to seeing Demar/Zack combo the sequel.

[sco]

I'm a bit sad for Zach that he didn't get to LA, but happy if this somehow f*cks with Clutch sports.

[PaKii94]

Bye Zach. I can't believe the Zach Lavine era lasted almost as long as Rose+Jimmy combined.

He seems like a good dude and worker but the mental aspect of the game has always eluded him. It was obvious from the beginning but somehow Zach Lavine #1 dragged on for YEARS. And because of the commitment to him, bulls couldn't improve. Im happy we can finally move on

[Dominator83]

Gotta still appreciate him for being a pro, going to work and rebuilding his value. Obviously it's moreso hindsight that we got useful players out of the trade, the main piece was getting full control of our pick back. Which was a win considering that I'm the off season every reporter was reporting that we would have to pay to move him.

Also credit to Zach, his contract is a hell of alot better than Paul George's lol. I bet the Sixers wish they had just taken Zach and his salary instead of signing PG.

That was another example of a team wanting us to "pay" them to take Zach. Word was they wanted Caruso as their fee. Once we traded Caruso, they moved on and signed PG. They got too greedy !

But wow great return! All 3 players are useful and easy to move if needed.

[DuckIII]

We did not get a “great return” for Lavine due to the widespread incompetence NBA FOs and the second apron. We did however get a decent return under the circumstances.

Reporting at the time said it was primarily the second apron. But it was also due to our FO’s failure to move on with a full rebuild much earlier when Lavine (and others) had much greater value. And it was due to the groupthink tendency of NBA FOs as a whole to close the book on one player while breathlessly turning the pages on other equal or inferior players solely due to perception. Lavine, Beal and PG and their wildly different treatments (after PG stopped being classic PG anyway) is one of many examples.

Toot my own horn but even before the Sixers got PG I was in here saying Lavine was perfect for them. I’ll take it to my grave: Put Lavine off ball with a franchise player “big” (I include someone like Giannis in that) and he is a championship caliber “big 3” piece.

I hope he gets that chance one day, but it doesn’t look very likely.

[dougthonus]

We did not get a “great return” for Lavine due to the widespread incompetence NBA FOs and the second apron. We did however get a decent return under the circumstances.

Reporting at the time said it was primarily the second apron. But it was also due to our FO’s failure to move on with a full rebuild much earlier when Lavine (and others) had much greater value. And it was due to the groupthink tendency of NBA FOs as a whole to close the book on one player while breathlessly turning the pages on other equal or inferior players solely due to perception. Lavine, Beal and PG and their wildly different treatments (after PG stopped being classic PG anyway) is one of many examples.

Toot my own horn but even before the Sixers got PG I was in here saying Lavine was perfect for them. I’ll take it to my grave: Put Lavine off ball with a franchise player “big” (I include someone like Giannis in that) and he is a championship caliber “big 3” piece.

I hope he gets that chance one day, but it doesn’t look very likely.

Yeah, I was also saying in the off-season that if I were the 76ers, I'd be all over LaVine instead of PG. We'd traded him for pure cap room for sure, and probably could have been goaded into taking some salary back if they had any they wanted to shed, just to get off his deal. Figured Zach on a 3 year deal would be way less toxic than PG on a 4 year deal at like 15M more per season.

That said, nothing was going to save Philly's season this year, but they'd sure rather have Lavine's deal than PG's deal right now.

[WindyCityBorn]

I never thought I’d get over trading Zach so fast, but that trade looks great now. It opened the door for Giddey and Coby to explode. And Collins, Jones and Huerter are giving us great depth.