Getty Lonzo Ball.
The Chicago Bulls are 10-4, and one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA. Perhaps that’s why DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball are getting a collective nickname.
Nicknames are often a symbol of adoration, but some are hilarious and perhaps a touch inappropriate. The new nickname for the Bulls’ Big 3 might might fall into that category.
Take a listen as Bulls analyst Kendall Gill reveals the nickname a fan came up with for DeRozan, Ball and LaVine:
Don’t dismiss DeBallZach so quickly. In fact, StatMuse hopped on board with the new moniker.
#DeBallZach this season, ranked among center-less 3-man lineups:
1st in defensive rating
1st in net rating
1st in point differential
1st in 3P%
Forbes’ Jason Patt seemed to be amused about it as well.
Celtics beat writer John Karalis had a Manscape joke to drop with his DeBallZach reference:
@Bulls_Jay DeBallZach has been smooth for Chicago all season long… and speaking which, Manscaped has a special offer right now…
If you hear Stacey King refer to them as DeBallZach during a broadcast, the nickname will have been completely certified.
The Bulls’ Unselfishness Has Been the Key
We all know Ball is unselfish, it’s what his game is predicated on. However, LaVine and DeRozan have been nearly as selfless in their own right.
Bleacher Nation’s Elias Schuster wrote about DeRozan and LaVine’s unselfishness after the Bulls’ 121-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.
DeRozan and LaVine have been arguably the NBA’s top duo to start the season. Once a pairing that many questioned after reports of the initial DeRozan addition dropped this summer, the two are now the only teammates to share a spot within the NBA’s top-10 scoring ranks. DeRozan sits 3rd in the league averaging 26.9 points per game, behind only Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, respectively. As for LaVine, he rests comfortably at No. 7 with 25.9 points a night. And while that number is technically trending in the wrong direction for a player who averaged 27.4 points per game last season, it’s safe to say he couldn’t care less with the franchise off to its best start since the 2011-12 season. LaVine deserves a round of his applause for the unselfishness he has displayed to start this season, as does DeRozan. But I’m not sure we should perceive it as some massive surprise. Not only has LaVine always been a willing passer, but his ball-dominant persona was built largely off circumstance. The Bulls needed the versatile scorer to keep their bottom-ranked offense afloat in years past. To stay competitive, it was a role LaVine was willing to play, but it was not one he hoped to keep.
Thanks to the arrival of DeRozan, LaVine is finally in a position where he doesn’t have to do everything for his team to be successful offensively.
Lonzo’ Long-Range Attack Is a Key
Ball isn’t a great off-the-dribble scorer and his mid-range game is suspect. However, his defense, transition passing and three-point shooting have been stellar for the Bulls.
Ball is connecting on a team-best 44% of his three-point attempts, and he’s shooting an average of 7.1 from beyond the arc per game. That ability to knock down triples has become an important aspect of the Bulls’ offense.
Ball spreads the floor for DeRozan’s mid-range game and LaVine’s varied attack. It’s when DeBallZach is at its best. Collectively, the trio is averaging 65.7 points per game. There is a hope that the three Bulls stars can continue this level of play.
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