Zach LaVine will be part of a rebuilding the Chicago Bulls organization has planned for this season, and quite possibly be the face of the franchise if he performs up to expectations.
The Bulls shipped out forward Jimmy Butler, waived point guard Rajon Rondo, and are expected to also engage in buyout talks with 12-time All-Star Dwyane Wade later this month — all to base this rebuilding experiment around head coach Fred Hoiberg's offensive philosophy.
“It's good that we're going to be able to implement coach Hoiberg's system,” LaVine told Phil Thompson of The Chicago Tribune. “Me being able to run, jump and shoot the ball. I can create for others. It will be good to get out in open space, use the ball, have the ball in my hand a little bit more than I did last year.”
The UCLA product came into the league as an unrefined athletic specimen, but has polished his game every offseason, ultimately becoming a reliable three-point threat the last two seasons, making 2.6 treys per game through 47 games with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LaVine's season was cut short due to a left ACL tear, an issue he's looked to rebound from since being diagnosed with the injury in early February.
Hoiberg's high-pace, outside-in, spread out system should help LaVine develop into an even deadlier threat from beyond the arc, while giving him enough room to maneuver off the dribble and become a legitimate 20-point scorer in the league.
He scored a career-high 18.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting last season.
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