Zach LaVine is not making an impact for the Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls will not make a playoff run unless Zach LaVine plays at an All-Star level

© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns crushed the Chicago Bulls 132-113 on Wednesday. The consistently inconsistent Bulls are now 9-12 this season, and while Zach LaVine caught fire in the second half in Phoenix, his overall play has been concerning as of late.

LaVine came to Phoenix on a six-game streak of shooting under 41 percent from the field. In those contests, he shot 34.5 percent and 31.5 percent from beyond the arc. The star guard snapped the streak against the Suns, shooting 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) for 21 points, but he had a team-low -17.

But his statistics didn’t make an impact in the game. LaVine was 1-of-6 from the field in the first half, with five of his seven points coming from the free-throw line. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan played him with the reserves when the Suns outscored the Bulls 16-9 from 3:08 to play in the first quarter until the 8:47 left in the second.

While LaVine played much better in the second half, scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, he doesn’t look like his old self, and his shot selection in the key moments of games is questionable.

A down year

LaVine’s efficiency is down across the board; he is shooting 40.7 percent from the field, the second-lowest of this career, and 48.7 percent on two-point field goals, his lowest since the 2017-18 season, his first year with the Bulls, and the third-lowest of this career.

LaVine is averaging 20.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 34.1 minutes over 17 games. His scoring and rebounding stats are the lowest since 2017-18.

Not being 100 percent coming off left knee surgery hasn’t helped. Making a fast, complete recovery from a serious procedure is tough, but his shot selection and decision-making this year have been questionable, at best.

The two-time NBA All-Star is still a high-quality player, but as the most reliable offensive weapon on the Bulls outside of DeMar DeRozan, he has to live up to his five-year, $215 million super-max contract. The Bulls will not turn their season around unless LaVine plays at an All-Star level everyone expects him to perform.