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The Chicago Bulls have logged back-to-back wins in overtime since Zach LaVine’s return to the rotation, and three games in a row overall. He started their win over the Houston Rockets on January 10, joining breakout star Coby White in the opening backcourt.
That pairing was a concern for many, with White’s scoring production and usage rate both spiking in the absence of his two-time All-Star teammate.
However, his scoring and usage have peaked or sustained those previously high levels since LaVine returned. That is a very small sample size. But LaVine is bullish on what the pairing can accomplish.
“The way he’s playing right now, the growth of his game is incredible,” LaVine said, per Sam Smith of NBA.com on January 11. “The stretch he’s on, we want to keep him on that type of rhythm, obviously, and when I’m on the break I have a sense of finding him on the break or pitching the ball to him when he’s behind me.”
He was also clear about trying to contribute to the winning surge the Bulls have enjoyed.
“I’m just happy we’re winning,” LaVine said via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic on January 10. “Just trying to play the way that they’ve been playing this last month.”
Coby White: Bulls Want Zach LaVine to be ‘Aggressive’
LaVine finished with 25 points, a season-high 13 rebounds, seven assists, three steals (tying his season-high), and one block in the 124-119 win over Houston. White tallied 30 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.
Perhaps most encouraging for the Bulls, the duo combined to go 10-19 from beyond the arc.
But White was also complimentary of LaVine’s efforts since he’s been back from his 17-game, injury-induced absence.
“Aggressive. Decisive,” White said of LaVine, per Mayberry on January 11. “Making the right play off of his aggressiveness not necessarily looking to pass every time but just getting downhill and saying, ‘I’m going to get to the cup,’ and then making the read. So when he’s aggressive first, that’s how we want him to be.”
The Bulls have struggled with them on the floor together this season. But they’ve been strong together in the past, setting them up to be one of the more potent duos if they can find their previous chemistry.
Zach LaVine on Coby White: ‘That’s My Guy’
“I’ve known Coby, what, six years,” LaVine asked rhetorically, per Smith. “That’s my guy. He’s been through a lot the last three, four years. So it’s good to see him where he is; it’s great.”
LaVine and White are the last two players remaining from before Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas took over. Both players have spent time in the rumor mill.
LaVine has grown accustomed to them and was acquired by the Bulls via trade.
White spent the year leading into this past offseason on the trade block. But the Bulls were unable to find a deal to their liking. That may have been to their benefit. It may have even been to their credit depending on what their asking price for the rising star was.
The Bulls are still exploring the trade market for LaVine. So his playing better helps them either way.
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