The Chicago Bulls 2023 Media Day provided the first wave of player interviews since the conclusion of last season. Zach LaVine started the player interviews and had plenty of answers for what to expect from himself and the team headed into the 2023-24 season. His name was the most popular this offseason, being dangled in all trade rumors, including ones for Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, Trae Young, and other stars around the league. Entering the season as the team’s reigning leading scorer and longest-tenured Chicago Bull, he’s firmly planted as the leader of this club, and here are his thoughts on what’s to come in the next several months.
One Goal, “Win Competitive Games”
LaVine was quickly met with questions about the lack of success during his time in Chicago. Having yet to surpass the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, only appearing in the postseason one of his six seasons here, and only claiming one playoff win to his name, it’s now or never for the team’s highest-paid player. The former UCLA guard will be the NBA’s 12th highest-paid player this season, having yet to make an All-NBA team and only making two All-Star appearances in his career, defending his lucrative contract is getting increasingly more difficult for the Bulls. When his personal and team goals were brought to the surface, his response stayed constant with previous interviews.
“My answer is always the same. Whenever you have personal goals They come in with winning. We have to get back to playing after the season ends, things that matter. We were 3, 4 minutes away from getting back to the playoffs last year, let’s get back to that this year.”
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Simply put for LaVine and many others in the Bulls building, this is a do-or-die season. Arturas Karnisovas was hired to lead the front office and personnel decision-making team in 2020, since which point the team has held a 117-119 record and one lone playoff victory. Hired from the Denver Nuggets, where he drafted Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and had a large hand in building this past season’s championship roster through draft capital, his previous success has not yet been replicated in the Windy City. After an aggressive trade deadline deal for Nikola Vucevic and the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan in free agency, the clock is ticking on these moves to translate into winning basketball games.
“Adjusting” To A New Point Guard
Another common theme amongst all the player interviews was the point guard position. It’s well-known in Bulls nation that the most successful teams in Chicago have been led by competent and facilitating point guards leading the offense. Lonzo Ball’s injury in January of 2022 has left a void in that spot ever since, and the offseason acquisition of Jevon Carter has seemingly given some security and insurance to the most significant gap on the roster. When asked about Carter, LaVine was no stranger to what he brings to the basketball floor.
“Whenever you have a threat on the floor it helps. He’s a Big time competitor, real pesky, picks up full, talks a lot on defense. How he brings energy and his mentality is the thing I’ve noticed in the last couple of weeks”
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Carter’s over 42% from three-point territory, and well-known defensive prowess will stretch the floor on offense, allow space for the pure scoring abilities of LaVine and DeRozan to flourish, and bring a grittiness to the defensive backcourt and transition game.
What are your expectations for Zach LaVine this season, and will his name be on the trading block yet again if Chicago isn’t battling for contention in the Eastern Conference? His full media day interview can be viewed below.
