Zach LaVine doesn’t have his tongue in his pocket. Asked during the All-Star Weekend, the back of the Bulls claimed that his duo with DeMar DeRozan was simply the “best in the NBA”. We are looking into the subject.
What a wonderful season the Bulls are having. Announced between places 6 and 9 in the Eastern Conference before the start of the season, Chicago surprised many since the Bulls were first before being second today, on a par with the Heat. If the specialists did not expect such a level from the men of Billy Donovan, it is because there were – among other things – doubts concerning the Zach LaVine – DeMar DeRozan association. Both ball players they did not seem to represent the most complementary duo in the world and some Hexperts considered that the two men were going to step on each other’s toes a bit. With hindsight, we can laugh at these concerns since the tandem shares the leadership of the team and perform together. We can even consider that DeMar DeRozan is the technical leader of the group as his level of play this season is exceptional, bringing him squarely into the discussion of the MVP. The bet was not won in advance and the success of this pair is notably linked to the intelligence that Zach LaVine was able to show vis-à-vis the arrival of DeRozan in “his team”, by agreeing to sometimes let the light shine on his new teammate, even if it means taking a back seat. Result: 38 wins for 21 losses, fourth best record in the League. Asked during All-Star Weekend about the Bulls’ season and more specifically about his duo with DeRozan, Zach LaVine claimed that they were at the top of the NBA hierarchy (via NBC Sports Chicago)
“I think right now we’re the best duo in the NBA. I think we are, personally. It’s just where we are now, obviously in the rankings and the level of play that we have. We started the year with people who had different ideas about us and our team, and I think we proved them wrong. So I think we will continue to grow and improve. »
This season, the duo compiles 52.7 points per game, which makes them the duo with the most cumulative points ahead of the Jaylen Brown – Jayson Tatum duo at 49.4 points per game (Joel Embiid and James Harden are at 51.7 points per game combined, but still haven’t played together). At first glance, it is clear that the LaVine – DeRozan tandem is one of the best in the League, but is it THE best this season? We wanted to dive a little deeper into the stats to try to find an answer to this question and here’s what we were able to nab. In 2021-22, out of 100 possessions, Chicago has a 6.5-point advantage on average when Zach and DeMar are on the court together, which is very correct but less good than other duos like Gobert – Mitchell (+13.8), Tatum – Brown (+12.4) or even Booker – CP3 (+11). However, the Bulls are second in the Eastern Conference because basketball is played with five. So certainly, the LaVine – DeRozan duo is efficient, but it shows that if Chicago is in this place today, it is also thanks to the excellent squad mounted by the boss Arturas Karnisovas. In any case, no matter what the numbers say, one thing is clear: DeMar DeRozan is playing the best basketball of his career and LaVine has managed the transition remarkably well accompanying the arrival of DMDR, all to finally taste the Playoffs with the Bulls. And that’s what counts in the end.
The best NBA duos can be debated for a long time. However, the two stars of Chicago are the leaders of one of the best teams in the League and that is indisputable. With the Bulls having a great season, it is likely that the Bulls are aiming for another title than that of best pair. So go to the Playoffs to really prove who is at the top of the hierarchy.
Source texte : NBC Sports Chicago
