Slash & Splash | What makes Zach LaVine an All-Star?

Just how good is Zach LaVine now? He's quietly become one of the best scorers in the league, but was he a worthy All-Star in 2021? How he has become so effective on offense? What are his limitations there? And how good is his defense? This detailed film room analysis looks at the Bulls All-Star guard, incorporating data and stats to understand how good he might be.
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Book: www.amazon.com/Thinking-Baske...
Podcast: player.fm/series/thinking-bas... or at www.stitcher.com/podcast/ben-...
Website: www.backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by csus (instrumental)
#ThinkingBasketball

[@SK-mw8vd]

I really think playing on the Olympic team helped grill into Lavine's head that defense is going to win him games. He looks way more focused on that end since.

[@sophiawilliams8650]

i think its more that he doesnt need to generate as much offence so he's able to 100% lock in on D with better offensive talent around him

[@nathanharrell7485]

He was honestly playing better on defense even before the Olympic Games. But no doubt playing with all that knowledge around him probably helped even more

[@t4d0W]

@@sophiawilliams8650 that is usually the case for players who don't have to shoulder all those offensive responsibilities. AK (Bulls VP) made that a mission to realize that goal by getting more players who can help the load off LaVine on offense but also let him play his focused role on defense. Sadly Patrick Williams is who I thought is the ideal defensive anchor for the Bulls this season so everyone has to chip in more on defense.

[@theheebs100]

plus defense in general is a lot better this year

[@tommulligantravels]

The Draymond yelling at you 24/7 for 6 weeks would do that to you too

[@mrtspence]

Glad to see you posting more. The Bulls are absolutely must-watch basketball this year. Such an exciting team.

[@eaglefan1124]

Definitely one of my random night league pass teams for a great watch.

[@Vecancy]

agreed, overall the entire bulls team has some great play-making and facilitating going on with lavine, lonzo, derozan, vuc as well as caruso coming off of the bench

[@BruhWhyDidTheyChangeThis]

Love to see it. Someone get MJ out of retirement

[@lifeslemons5408]

Content depicting the archetype of scoring shooting guards like Beal, Mitchell, Booker and LaVine would be interesting. These players are especially interesting because of the unique situations they are in.

[@innerparty1]

The unique situation is that you can't win a title with these types. Simply not good enough on defense, often inefficient in high stake games and ultimately not enough size to break up playoff defenses.

[@willmael7914]

@@innerparty1 yeah I think if you want to win a ring as a guard and as the main guy, you'd need to be superstar-level on at least two of the three: scoring, passing, defense. Ik Book got Ayton and CP3 to help him so he can focus on cooking teams with his scoring, but I'm pretty sure that's not gonna be enough.

[@sharifbrown3567]

@Aravind Narayanan facts

[@yungtago9161]

@@innerparty1 You can definitely win a title with these types as long as they have the proper team around them. Having one average to below average defensive player especially at the guard spots really won’t effect much as long as the defensive scheme is good and there isn’t a specific bad matchup that targets them. Curry and Kyrie come to mind

[@joshjohnson3867]

@@yungtago9161 100%. I really feel like people just use stats way too much to justify those weird claims.

[@willfulton9276]

Ben drops nothing but bangers. I'd love to see a video on Mobley, Miles Bridges, or the effect the foul rule changes has had on some of the most prolific scorers.

[@chuckbarkley2755]

Da fouls one would be elite

[@giom3248]

@@noivern1380 not many rookies in this channel but mobley would be interesting. PS Ben is in the upper echelon of YT basketball

[@swageyamatobiyolo8068]

He's DEFINITELY doing Mobley and/or Scottie Barnes. He always does at least one rookie and these 2 are dripping with potential

[@futurehofer1564]

@@giom3248 he did plenty of videos on rookies a while back

[@Omakhara]

@@chuckbarkley2755 Yh but i think you ahould wait till Allstar to pass that judgment. Who knows how they might change/tweak things gradually so that the subjective calls (as they are called by the league) become more defined and understood. Also most teams still figuring stuff out so its hard to extract the noise from the little data there is.

[@oneman9121]

He's got one of the most aesthetically pleasing looking jumpers in the league. Devin Booker, Devonte' Graham, & Paul George all also comes to mind. Alan Houston also had a great looking jumper.

[@Christopher_D_Morgan]

Klay Thompson as well.

[@immafatazn]

carmelo anthony has one smoothest ever

[@odonnellcaleb]

It's my absolute favorite shot. I'm not saying it's the BEST so hopefully no one attacks me thinking I'm hating on Curry or anything. Everything just looks so smooth and effortless. Not even just his form but his jump..which is impressive for how high gets on his jump shot.

[@oneman9121]

@@odonnellcaleb It's my favorite jump shot form as well. Devin Booker is a close second. Curry is the GOAT shooter, but that doesn't mean he has the best "looking" jumper. It looks good, but I prefer a higher lift with more sway.

[@oneman9121]

@@Christopher_D_Morgan unpopular opinion, but I don't know if I'd call Klay's jumper "pretty". He has a wide base, and his off-the-dribble form looks stiff. Especially when he's driving right for a pull-up. Effective, but not silky smooth per se.

[@TheM.W]

Finally a Zach LaVine video... I have been waiting for such a long time. Easily my favourite player and has been going under the radar for years now. Thank you for this, Thinking Basketball.

[@sch0705]

That's why Lonzo is a perfect complement of Zach, on defense, on play making.

[@sharifbrown3567]

Lonzo works well with most people ever since he learned how to shoot better

[@BOKtober]

Lonzo is a good but not great play maker at this point , he just needs to be more aggressive which could happen throughout the year

[@TheIcemanthomas]

That’s why I really wanted lonzo in Phoenix with booker too.

[@t4d0W]

Funny enough both Lonzo AND DeRozan are interesting solutions to trying to maximize LaVines off-ball offensive efficiency. Lonzo's impact is also felt when he can be the dime dropper for the 2nd unit which boasts Caruso, White (the scorer) and other high flyers who can run up and down to put baskets in fast.

[@ryangallant7579]

Lonzo is a good passer, especially in transition, but he isn't much of a playmaker. DeRozen is much better.

[@LauraLoo77]

Would love to see an addendum to this showcasing more of his improved defense and playmaking.

[@gt12kar]

I've seen a lot of interesting points you've made about defense weaknesses for pnr ball handler defense. Could you make a video about the best pnr defenders in the game and how much they add to winning when compared to high level offensive talent.

[@tdfhion9936]

I think offensive talent adds much more to winning than defensive talent, especially as a guard/point of attack defender. He kinda touches on this in the Marcus Smart defensive profile, where defensive guards aren’t as valuable (generally) than defensive bigs. Obviously the level of talent matters but as a rule offense > defense

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Check out the Bucks (Giannis) defense last year with Bledsoe, and Smart's video. I have another this year I'd like to get to as well.

[@gabeyarris5978]

@@ThinkingBasketball hi Ben. Do you think you could do Robert Covington? I feel like he’s more of a team defender than an on-ball defender, which could be interesting to analyze. Also, nurkic could be interesting. Is he really a good defender? Does his playmaking make up for his bad finishing?

[@swageyamatobiyolo8068]

@@gabeyarris5978 Ben's editor Mike de la Rosa did a really good breakdown on Covington if you're interested kzbin.info/www/bejne/rammlXyVgrp8gac

[@sarperkizilkaya4531]

DeBallZach is the best trio in nba

[@ClemintineCake]

I'd take KD Harden and a bum from the YMCA

[@boydriceisawesome2520]

That's very disrespectful

[@cycleoflife565]

Supposed comedy from the same school of thought that brought you the horrid Jonathan Kuminga nickname.

[@pranavmanie1479]

I've been saying this since last year: you give LaVine a good team, he's a guaranteed all-NBA guard. This is the year that hypothesis is going to be proven.

[@mateusbez2669]

It is crazy just how high he goes on those jump shots. Beautiful movement and elevation.

[@Kaleidoscope2412]

Could Zach be a throwback to the high volume scoring wing in the mold of Michael Jordan? I certainly think so, the key as outlined so well in this video is to level up as a playmaker while continuing to exert rim pressure with his combination of his incredible first step and the threat of the jumper. We shall be watching your career with great interest Lavine.

[@adityavarshney6690]

I remember watching him play live while he was on MIN. He's come a long way, and it's safe to say he's the most complete out of the Wiggins, KAT, LaVine trio despite having the least hype. Very impressive game. Hopefully playing with more skilled passers like Lonzo and Vucevic improves his reads. As it stands rn, his playmaking won't get it done in the playoffs. Defenses will stuff the paint on PnR, capitalizing on his limited lefty playmaking and conventional passing.

[@trvspvrk]

I love Zach but KAT is still better. Wolves will have a great year if everyone remains healthy

[@owethunala2632]

KAT>Lavine

[@CWJ0725]

@@owethunala2632 KAT is not better.

[@t4d0W]

Big men's growth in the NBA is a little more different because they rely more on dedicated structure than wing players to consistently do their thing. Embiid is an elite player but the Sixers org is still trying to build a roster around him to maximize his presence. Jokic on the other hand from his emergence as an offensive hub laid out the blueprint to maximize him so the Nuggets just have to be smart getting good pieces that work around him. KAT has shown the ability to play like an offensive hub with his passing (big passing bigs are always good as history has shown) and punish opponents for being a tall ass sniper from beyond the arc. However his vision and shot creation isn't at the level of Jokic's so he needs better shooters/cutters around him to take advantage of his passing so the team can cash in.

[@odonnellcaleb]

His first year or two in the league I HATED him. (I'm a Bulls fan but I've always watched a bunch of games...even from "bad teams"). I remember watching a game where he got 3 (maybe 2) travels where he just took off without dribbling the ball. It was frustrating as hell. I wrote him off as "just a dunker" the next year I'm watching another Wolves game...and he looks so dramatically improved I literally changed my mind on him THAT DAY. Because that kind of improvement doesn't just happen...You KNEW he was putting in hours and hours of extra work. Then comes the Butler trade...I remember a whole lot of people were pissed off about it but I was telling everyone I could to calm down...Jimmy is better than anything we would get back but Lavine is the real deal. He's got the work ethic to be special. Then when we had to extend him..the media was KILLING us for how much money we were giving him...and again a bunch of Bulls fans were thinking we were overpaying and I said "I think this turns out to be a real bargain..I really do"... Zach Lavine has been the dude who has probably been my best "prediction", time and time again. We all know we have had our hits and misses on who we thought would be really good...but it feels really good to continue to be proven right about Zach. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is if Kira Lewis turns out to be good I'm going to get a little cocky. (But that's looking like a miss so far)

[@auds6764]

Finally!! I’ve been waiting a long time for an upload from the GOAT

[@WhelmedButReady]

Lemme just say as a diehard Bulls fan, it's great that we're relevant and talented enough to finally get a TB video on one of our guys. It's a new era indeed. Da Bulls are back!😁💪🏾

[@lilnizal]

Thank you for the content ben

[@user-gd8xm3eb9t]

Awesome video, coming from a Bulls fan I definitely feel the playmaking aspect, it drives me nuts seeing him miss wide open teammates, seeing how he's improved consistently every year in the league I believe he can improve there.

[@lkjasdf3684]

Saw you made a video on LaVine and had to watch it immediately. It's been so fun to watch him as a bulls fan

[@BSCTrainerRob]

'He's sitting his weight back...his hips are stiff'... not saying this isn't valid, high level analysis but it's wild to me to pick apart a literal super athlete like that. Dude can touch the top of the backboard

[@tyler7649]

Love the video, been a big fan of lavine ever since that first dunk contest and it’s great to see him playing with a better team around him this season

[@jacob6878]

Man, you're the best. I hope you finally gain the recognition you deserve this season! Thanks for all of the great content over the years.

[@sharifbrown3567]

I'd love to see you do a CORP analysis of a MyPlayer from 2K, just to see the ridiculously high stats such as RTS and Scoring Rate present.

[@braydenwilliams4478]

You are one of my favorite channels on all of KZbin!! Always so glad to see the videos, wish you all the best. Keep doing what you’re doing!!

[@aleksanderbandreassen4915]

So happy to have you back! Love your videos!

[@mustaphalove8934]

Ayyy man! Good to have u back

[@Hoops_Fan]

Slash and splash is an excellent way to describe Zach LaVine's game. Its also a nice nickname for him. Insightful video with great production quality as usual.

[@vinnythep00h]

One of my favorite players in the league. Thanks for the video!

[@bradywatts1021]

Hes back with the player videos!!! omg

[@almogavraham9314]

Great video as always! Can't wait to see a video about Mitchell

[@joshuareynolds9527]

Fantastic analysis, great editing on video. Subscribed!

[@nolop366]

Amazing content bro, appreciate it!

[@bigleechu8832]

Eyy early noti gang i love ur content bro been waiting for more of these, this is my most favorite content from ur channel although everything is good but i like this more:)

[@xXxGlitterGirlxXx]

That music i love listen to you to talk over it. Its just so perfect. Great video. 🖤

[@yanuisme]

Future HOF! Really love watching him playing the game. Smart, effective and explosive. Hope he'll win a RING one day!

[@godnotavailable2094]

Always a good day when you post. Best basketball content on the platform by a mile.

[@karishnasiva]

Would really love to see a Scottie Barnes video, I know it's early. Just love how you break down the games of players, it's so pragmatic and great to watch.

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

Incredible video, it's the first time i'm seeing what a phenomenal athlete he is, is jaw dropping. I'm with admiration and envy at the same time.

[@Blake-wz6dk]

Love your videos so much homie. keep doing player breakdowns, maybe you could start an annual series breaking down top rookies throughout the year

[@houssamk777]

Thank you for shining the light on zach, great video.

[@manijones4997]

I love these types of analysis of players who aren’t as main stream.

[@ayejdoe2167]

I love how you tell the pros and cons of everything. 💯👍🏾

[@romanleo2281]

Amazing as always

[@hex-2748]

As I predicted, if he gets a consistent long range bombs, he can be an enigma for any defender. If he get his post moves, he can prolong his career without getting his knees worn out.

[@juliansearcie1758]

Lot of ifs.

[@jioreyes5838]

keep them coming 🐐

[@sirdumhuveniii359]

Brilliant video and breakdown of a polarising player. I’d love to see a video on Domantas Sabonis at some point, really don’t know how he would go as a number 1/2 on a good team

[@AFilesTV]

This was great! Thanks!

[@CosmicGrind]

Awesome video! My favorite player!

[@benjaminbaumgardner7620]

Commenting for the algorithm. Good stuff as always

[@Cobusftwmahoniez]

This is by far the best basketball content on youtube

[@hermjustino9796]

Great video! I’d love to see one Fred Vanvleet and how he craft, skill, footwork to overcome his physical shortcomings. Keep up the great work

[@lazyliquid]

Great content. Seriously. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@fhjunior6183]

Thanks for the vid

[@matthewl8647]

NEW TB VID LETS GO

[@ny2k204]

Beautiful vid

[@ClemintineCake]

Another great video!

[@JonnyLin7]

Such great analysis. I'd love for you to do a video on some of the rookies, namely Barnes and Mobley.

[@toekneema]

fantastic analysis

[@2rs205]

Les go new uploadddd

[@jimmyjoejerkic]

My favourite basketball channel on KZbin!

[@narfazlee5162]

Great video, would love to see a breakdown of the Raptors defense this season

[@last7116]

Lavine getting a video from TB is more than enough to make my day

[@emmandiaz3495]

The best nba basketball youtuber finally uploaded again

[@jonathonlondon183]

simply love watching Lavine play love his skillset

[@dddiop]

Good to see the classics back again!

[@andybrummel5555]

This is an honest and fair review! I would love to see how he plays with Steph XD

[@jingqi9106]

Zach has some weaknesses in his game but his upside is huge. LaVine is an all-star level player that is next level exciting in the air at the hoop and is an excellent shooter. He's still developing as a player so I's expect him to continue to improve in most areas. Chicago is thrilled to have Zach!

[@boricua9071]

He is on his way to being something really special.

[@pickleoudww7784]

Your voice only can make me like all the vids and your style of montage and illustrations

[@cordelier]

Great vid, love the anime eyes in the thumbnail

[@jordanr5832]

You gotta love this guy after watching him take over game after game.

[@tip12331]

These videos are literally a god send. He don’t miss🤦🏾‍♂️

[@user-kn2td2zn9w]

Great video

[@20marvelman]

My favorite KZbin doing a video on my favorite player, nice day

[@renzojr9845]

Nice vid Ben it would be nice if you did a bael or kyrie player breakdown i be interested lol

[@reidb6327]

Zach Lavine is so good

[@MrGreyWolfAlpha]

Great stuff

[@jarrayyy5400]

LFGGGGG! FINALLY A VID ON ZACH LAGOAT I LOVE U BEN

[@drehitemup9904]

Zach lavine is one of the best volume scorers in the league

[@immafatazn]

he was scoring 27 on nearly 50-40-90 last season

[@juliansearcie1758]

He shot 47.9fg 38.73pt and 85:pct from the line .where did you get 50/40 90 from other than your arse

[@jtwilliams8895]

Excellent analysis. Can’t disagree with anything, except labeling Zach a “low level or borderline All Star player.” That’s what he has been the last couple seasons, but I think he’s about to kick it up a notch. That is, assuming that his hand/thumb injury doesn’t hurt his efficiency very much. On a team that is top five in the power rankings, he’s an automatic All Star who could be voted to start by the fans.

[@jeffreyt4345]

A shocker going Lavine for the first profile of the season! Doesn't matter; Ben kills it as usual. Great work.

[@Hieuby_Dooby]

Please more player breakdown vids!

[@WHITEPERSUAS1ON]

The Ball Zach duo go crazy!!!

[@Tylerjms7]

If I was in the NBA I’d be watching this guys videos to know what I need to work on. Just good coaching from someone who is a neutral party and really understands basketball

[@davechiang4189]

my mans can do everything

[@sportswikipedia5739]

Another W video by thinking basketball

[@Airricc_]

Barnes coast to coast highlight in the outro 🔥

[@karim8288]

Love your content !! Have you considered doing an analysis of prime d rose ?

[@rockbert6482]

the GOAT has uploaded again

[@ReCharredSigh]

I think Ben got a new mic or setup; he sounds different on this video. Anyways great work as always!

[@rionshikder813]

Really want a Thinking Basketball piece on Alex Caruso, as he seemingly has superstar level impact numbers, and it would be amazing to have Ben break those down

[@sneakers_guy5488]

Agreed

[@Jamiechisholm12]

Yes he’s posting!!!!!

[@svgftw351]

really hoping for a profile on evan mobley he's been great to watch but it would be great to see a detailed breakdown of his defensive and offensive impact

[@christiansandoval5045]

All valid points that can't be argued I do want to say Zach is 26 so he's getting close to his prime if he isn't already there but I believe he still has some untapped potential now it's up to him if he unlocks it but he can definitely still become a better defender as well as a better playmaker which he has shown flashes this year with more weapons around him taken some pressure off him on the offensive side and giving him better scorers will lead to him being more attentive hopefully to those kick outs on the wing and corner but I think since he kind of left this up in the air that no he's not a bottom all star and there are few players like him besides mentioning he's a 50 40 90 player yes he never officially made it shooting 86 from the ft percentage but he's an efficient scorer of the highest degree that club is rare for a reason now do I think he can be ur primary playmaker like luka or CP3 no but that's why ur supposed to surround him with those kinds of players cause that would take his scoring to a new level as well as give him more opportunities to focus on the defensive side Zach isnt a bottom all star he's a all nba caliber player and he's a player who hasn't played with a top 15 player unlike most of the best players in the world Demar isn't a top 15 and neither is Vuc unlike his rival Guards such as Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell who have CP3 and Rudy this has more to do with the pieces than the player and once fully healthy I believe this new ramped bulls will show the world that they and Zach are here and aren't going anywhere

[@Levoneee]

the shot creating slasher every one wants to be on 2k so inspirational

[@hughgape4354]

Goat vid from the goat video creator

[@jameshoops10]

should do a slash & splash vid of lavine and derozan

[@CJenkins_Wx]

HE'S BACK

[@stumbling]

Feel like I'm watching a leak from Bulls coaching staff. Great in-depth work

[@Crying2Death]

Do you think you can do a video where you analyze great passing plays, good, ok, and bad ones too?

[@SethKasso]

The king has returned!