In the words of the great Charles Barkley, the Bulls performance in Oklahoma City on Friday night was turrible. I mean, they really played like shit, and yet OKC kept giving us chance after chance to get back into and grab a hold of this game; the Bulls politely declined, losing an uninspired effort on the road in OT to start the weekend.
I’ve been trying to hold back; I’ve been trying to give Zach a break. The season started and I was already on his ass for the left knee management; I tried to pump the brakes, and thankfully, he has been playing in every game lately. See, my patience paid off… not convinced that we’re done seeing the DNPs for Zach, but at least I feel like they will be few and far between. I didn’t go in on Zach after his horrible performance against the Magic; instead, I chose to reward another Hate File to young Suggs. As the games progress though, it’s hard to not be pissed at Zach. He is our max guy; he is getting paid like a #1. He has not been playing like one; this game in OKC gave me a lot of ammunition.
Let’s start on his shot selection, a historic problem for Zach. There is no reason to take a fadeaway three while you’re being guarded with 15 on the shot clock. Zach forces a lot of outside shots; I’m OK when he forces the issue by driving to the bucket. Good things happen when you take it to the hole, and one of Zach’s strengths is exactly that. Yet, like Vooch, he would rather stay on the perimeter, taking difficult outside shots. I’m 100% behind Zach taking the open trey; all day every day, in the rhythm of the offense, a catch and shoot scenario, shoot, shoot, shoot… it’s the whole trying to take the hardest shot possible that I have a problem with. He was 9-23 in this one, including 4-11 from behind the arc. Actually, his decision making in general isn’t that great. Zach lead the team with 4 turnovers in this one. He seems to try to force passes sometimes. Zach IS a decent dime dropper, but mostly as a result from driving to the hole. Speaking about his driving to the hole, he did something in this one that really pissed me off. Zach is not alone, neither on this team nor in the NBA, with this stupid move. You know, it’s the drive to the hoop, where an open layup becomes available, when the player decides to kick it out vs actually taking the open layup, that pisses me off. Zach had one in this game. He drove the baseline, came out the other side of the basket, and as he leapt to pass the ball, all he had to do was turn and there was the open backboard… decision making…
Finally, and I hate to pile on Zach, but sometimes I question HIS effort. I know he’s said things in the locker room about that, which I’m sure his teammates don’t appreciate, yet, when I look at it, he’s as guilty as anybody else. There was one play in particular, where a rebound bounced out towards him and Dragic… not sure if you remember that play… but neither of them moved towards it, when it certainly seemed they could have at the very least contested for it. Effort? You know, now that I think about it, that comment and his teammates appreciation of it, ties into one of my other thoughts after this game; Zach doesn’t seem to be embraced as a “leader” of this team. I sense a bit of cold shoulder-ness… Is it too much to want our max guy to be a great leader too? I don’t think Zach has those qualities either…
I’m rooting for Zach, believe me. I was happy when they paid him this offseason, vs the only other alternative of Zach walking. I want him to be THE guy… I just don’t see it; I have seen moments over the years, but it hasn’t been nearly enough. I continue to try to be patient, because what other option do I really have, but… it’s frustrating. If there is one player who has embodied my frustration with the Bulls frustrating season thus far, it’s Zach Lavine. Ready for some more, MORE difficult road games ahead this week? Go Bulls!
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