Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has been brilliant for his team in the 2019-20 NBA campaign prior to the suspension of the season due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
But despite individual greatness, the Bulls struggled to gain a semblance of consistency and were outside the playoff picture with a mediocre 22-43 record (11th in the Eastern Conference).
On Tuesday, the 25-year-old supreme athlete made his frustrations known, per Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
“To be blunt, I’m upset. We had high expectations coming into the season and it didn’t go our way anyway we could have thought of,” LaVine said.
“We played through some adversity, but we didn’t go out there and do what we were supposed to do as a team.”
In 60 games this season, LaVine averaged a career-best 25.points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game, all the while knocking down 45 percent of his field goals and 38 percent of his 3-pointers.
It is worth noting that this is the highest scoring average by a Bulls player since the GOAT Michael Jordan.
The former UCLA Bruin exploded for a career-high 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets back in November. LaVine also became just the third player to hit 13 3-pointers in one game, joining the Golden State Warriors superstar duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Pundits argue that LaVine should have made the All-Star team last February, especially since it took place at the United Center. However, his inability to lead his Bulls to a winning record is slowly taking its toll.
“I’ve been in the NBA six years now and it just gets frustrating,” LaVine furthered. “I want to be in the playoffs. We really [believed]. I haven’t played in a playoff game and it wears on you. That’s what you work so hard for and continue to play for.”
Chicago currently has several promising young talents like Coby White, Lauri Markannen and Wendell Carter Jr., alongside Zach LaVine. However, it appears that they still need to add some veteran talent to be competitive in the much-improved Eastern Conference.
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