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Addressing Zach Lavine - what Bulls coaches and players are feeling
Through the first 16 games of the season, the Bulls find themselves at 13th in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 5-11. The caliber of players in Chicago deserve a better record than they currently have, which is causing some speculation that Zach Lavine might be headed to a playoff-worthy team.
Alex Caruso
Lavine’s teammate Alex Caruso has been having a spectacular season defensively, despite the Bulls' struggles. On Thursday, he was asked by the Atlantic how the noise was affecting him, Lavine, and the rest of the team.
"Zach's been the same teammate that I think he's been since I've been here. I don't think any of this outside stuff, at least to me, it doesn't seem like it's affected us too much,” Caruso said.
However, the Bulls simply aren’t clicking this season. After missing the playoffs last season, the Bulls wanted to improve this season but didn’t make any real moves in the offseason to achieve that goal. Instead, they re-signed players and brought in Jevon Carter and Torey Craig.
As a result both the Bulls and Lavine have struggled, averaging less points and less assists per game than last season. Nevertheless, Caruso claims the noise isn’t getting to him or the team.
“I think it's more still about the product of basketball on the court that we're really not meeting the mark. But Zach, I haven't seen a change or a shift in his attitude or his daily routines since any of this stuff has popped up," Caruso continued.
Billy Donovan
Following the Bulls' win against the Heat, Zach Lavine walked off the court and declined to interview post-game. Apparently, it was just a miscommunication, but combined with the noise surrounding Lavine already, the media asked head coach Billy Donovan for his thoughts.
"I did not see anything different from him in that locker room when I walked in,” Donovan said. “I didn't get a guy who wasn't in the locker room or in a different room or upset or pouting or turned around. I talked to him after the game. He talked to players after the game. I saw a normal Zach in there."
At that moment, it seemed all was still normal within the Bulls organization surrounding Zach. To the players, coaches, and fans, for the time being, he will be staying in Chicago. But despite assurances from both players and coaches, the only person who knows is Lavine.
