Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways from loss to Golden State Warriors

3. Off night for Zach LaVine

When Zach LaVine returned to the lineup after missing the first half of the season, he was everything the Bulls thought he could be and then some. Not only did he average 16 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per outing in his first two games as a Bull, LaVine also shot 57.1 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from 3-point range.

Even more important, he produced those numbers with limited playing time.

Against the Warriors, however, LaVine didn’t fare too well. In 20 minutes of action, the fourth-year guard scored five points on 2-for-12 shooting from the field. On top of that, LaVine missed on all five of his attempts from beyond the arc and finished with plus/minus of -6, the lowest mark of the three games he’s played in this season.

The good news is despite an off night from the player who is expected to be the centerpiece of the franchise moving forward, the Bulls were competitive right down to the game’s final minutes. Another bit of good news is LaVine has proven that he is ready for an increased workload, which means the Bulls will eventually have another legitimate scorer on the floor in the fourth quarter.