Chicago Bulls: 5 holiday wishes for a struggling franchise

2. More clarity as to who Zach LaVine really is

Zach LaVine started out the season scoring 30 points in each of the first four games of the season. He looked like he might actually be the face of the Bulls franchise. With the drama surrounding Jimmy Butler in Minnesota, it was easy for many to point to Chicago and state that the Bulls actually won that trade. LaVine has essentially been a scoring machine for most of the season.

Now, he’s slowly starting to descend back to earth. The 23-year-old is still averaging 25.6 points per game, but is shooting a career-worst 30.3 percent from 3-point range. Per 100 possessions, he is averaging 6.1 assists and 5.1 turnovers while allowing 112 points defensively. In short, he can score, but is giving the ball away at nearly the same rate that he is making plays for teammates.

Is LaVine still the face of the franchise? Or is he merely the horse the Bulls are riding until more capable help comes along?

It very well may be that LaVine continues to lead the team in scoring once Markkanen returns, and he should get better scoring looks once more options are available. But in the new year, it would be nice to see more clarity as to whether the $78 million man is the star he seems to think he is or just a high-scoring, stat sheet-stuffer. Only time will tell.