Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways if Zach LaVine is done for the season

2. LaVine has had an up-and-down season

On the heels of an extended time away from the court, LaVine’s 2017-18 campaign can be categorized as inconsistent at best.

In his first two outings in a Bulls uniform, LaVine scored 14 and 18 points, respectively on 57.1 percent shooting from the field, while converting five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc. LaVine went on to finish the month of January with averages of 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists on slash lines of .389/.357/.724.

During the month of February, LaVine turned it up a notch, posting averages of 22.1 points 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 40.8 percent shooting overall and 43.2 percent from long range.

Ironically, LaVine’s most memorable outing to date took place on Feb. 9 against his former team. In that contest, LaVine erupted for 35 points, helping the Bulls escape with a narrow 114-113 victory.

But just when it appeared everything was going in the right direction, LaVine’s production dipped over the last next games. During that stretch, the fourth-year guard averaged 14.3 points per contest on 33.7 percent shooting and just 21.6 percent from 3-point range.

For the season, LaVine is averaging 16.7 points in 27.3 minutes per game. Although there is room for improvement, he has shown that 1) He has not lost any of the athleticism that helped him win two Slam Dunk Contests and 2) He has the ability to take over games, even in a new system.

Keeping that in mind, an offseason dedicated to adding more to his game will benefit both sides.