So much for the Bulls surprising us and winning on Thursday night at the UC against the Bucks. Yeah, it was more of the same from our boys, hitting the All Star break on an absolute downer… 6 losses in a row, on the outside looking in even from the extended playoff positions; will I ever get used to 2/3 of NBA teams being allowed in the playoffs? Not sure where we go from here… This season ranks up there as one of the most frustrating ever for our Bulls; I may have to rank those at some point. And, when you have a team like that, you need a poster boy; you need the face of this frustration. And that guy is Zach Lavine.
Zach, or “Bad Max”, as we’ll call him, has been bad. Yes, he is our max salary guy. Actually, he is the highest Bulls player of all time. Zach signed this biggest contract in Bulls history in the offseason, paying him approximately $40 million dollars per year over the next 5 years. Maybe this is part of the problem. You see, when you sign a contract like THAT, it comes with expectations. When you invest that much of the team’s salary in one player, he should be THE guy. Turns out, Zach is just A guy, and as long as that FACT remains, the Bulls will be going nowhere quick.
I had high hopes for Zach; I will still hold out this hope as long as he wears the Bulls uniform (which hopefully isn’t for much longer…). Look, I had this hope even though I was NEVER truly happy with him as a Bull; it didn’t start off well. The Bulls traded one of my favorites in Jimmy Butler to get him. There has never been a point since that day, that I wouldn’t take Jimmy over Zach; this is still true to this day. I actually talked about all the guys I would take over Lavine; there are a lot… there are too many, and not just your no-brainers. Sure, is Zach a better “catch and shoot” guy? Yeah, yeah he is. THIS is what we’re paying all that money for? A catch and shoot guy? You know how many of those guys are out there today in the NBA, making a really impressive living for only being able to catch and shoot? These guys make the NBA what it is today… a drive and kick league. THIS is what we’re paying all that money for? Man…
You see, Zach IS more than that. The Zach that I know is able to take anybody off the dribble, although he certainly doesn’t do that nearly as frequent as he used to. Is it because of his injury that he lost a step? I hope so; if that is the case, then maybe he’ll get back to one of his strengths at some point. I really hope it’s that, and not just that Zach just doesn’t want to any more… Sure looks like Zach doesn’t want to play defense a whole heck of a lot, or for that matter, hustle on the court. I can’t fricking just watch this guy all the time, but if I had the time to break down tape… I see him standing still enough out there, not going for a rebound/loose ball… I imagine that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Furthermore, and it’s hard to describe it maybe, but Zach doesn’t seem present; he seems like he’s always looking out into the distance… it’s weird. His teammates certainly don’t seem to flock to him; he’s certainly not a leader. It’s like he’s trying to show a certain persona, with his distant look, his standard jog, his once in a while “talking to” teammates… it ain’t working. How about his yelling every time he drives to the hole, trying to call for a foul? Reminds me of the boy that cries wolf… I’m sure his agent is helping him with all of this…
Hey, I know it’s more than just one guy, and yeah, I still want the best for Zach; I’m just not seeing it. You know what else I’m not seeing? Lavine, this weekend in Utah for All Star weekend. With Zach continuing on this path as our max guy, the Bulls are in real trouble, both this year, and the next 4 years. Something has got to change. Hopefully, it’s Zach’s performance; if not, then AKME needs to do something. How long are we going to wait to decide which option it will be? Since it wasn’t this past offseason, since it wasn’t this trade deadline, then certainly next offseason? Patiently waiting… Go Bulls!
Leave a Reply