© Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Three key points in the Bulls' four-game winning streak without Zach LaVine
Contrary to common opinion, the Chicago Bulls are defying the odds by constructing a stunning winning run in the absence of Zach LaVine. For a team that went 5-14 to start and battled through trade rumblings, it is beyond unimaginable to think that the Bulls are riding a four-game winning streak that currently stands as the best in the East.
Is this because of LaVine? Maybe yes; maybe not. But there are three significant points in Chicago's interesting burst upon the All-Star hotshot’s unavailability.
More ball movement and player involvement
Since LaVine went down, the Bulls have integrated more team basketball under Billy Donovan. With a quicker pace as well, Chicago moves the rock much faster and creates multiple scoring opportunities. Their ball game victories against the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans have seen them tally back-to-back season-high 32 assists collectively.
DeMar DeRozan suddenly landed in front of the red and black charge with 7.6 dimes in the last three games. As he channeled those playmaking traits he gained when he was still a San Antonio Spur, the Bulls are poised to continue following his lead.
Young guns on the rise
The Bulls' finding winning ways wouldn't be possible without the improved play of their promising core pieces. Both Coby White and Patrick Williams encountered criticisms for being underwhelming in the wake of the team's initial hardships. But in the last four games, they suddenly flipped the switch for the better.
White went off to fill Lavine's shoes at the backcourt by tallying a splendid 24.3 points average to go with 6.5 boards and 6.3 assists. With his backcourt mate out of the picture for an extended time, the 24-year-old boldly accepted the urgency to carry the team's load at the point.
Meanwhile, Williams discovered that newfound aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. After a disappointing start as well, he averaged 13.5 points in 55 percent shooting, 5.2 boards, 1.7 steals, and 1.5 blocks on the team's four-game win stretch.
Huge defensive leap
Not only the Bulls are clicking offensively. They are also turning it up at the game's defensive side. In their first 19 games, the Bulls resided in the basement of the league's defensive ranks.
However, within their last four victories, they impressively compiled a strong 112.3 defense rating that pushed them to the Top 5 of the said category league-wide. On average, they managed to clamp their previous opponents to an inefficient 46.2 percent field goal shooting.
Looking at how the entire team defended, it's clear that everyone did a good job and made opponents' lives miserable. The efforts were favorably received, and the hustle has been consistent in the eyes of the majority of Wind City fans.
Four games, four straight victories. The very first for the team since Feb. 22. The sample size might be small, but the Bulls can still considerably use these critical developments as a blueprint for extended emergence with LaVine out for the next 3-4 weeks.
