NBA Play-in Tournament: 5 players who could thrive in the play-in

4. Zach LaVine

Zach LaVine’s 2020-21 season has included a level of high-volume scoring and efficiency only a handful of other players around the league can match. He’s ninth in the league in scoring at 27.5 points per game with an absurd shooting line of .506/.414/.847.

The beauty of LaVine’s scoring abilities is rooted in the process as much as the results. We know of his explosiveness and athleticism finishing around the basket. He now compliments that part of his game with sound pick and roll skills and a deadly pull-up jumper that keeps defenders guessing at all times.

Of the players attempting at least 5.0 pull-up 3-pointers a night, LaVine ties for second in efficiency at 37.9 percent. Accounting for more than half of his total made triples, the pull-up has helped LaVine fill up scoring columns with incredible speed and consistency.

He is fourth in the NBA with 22 30-point outings and is tied for second in 40-point games with four. He needed just 31 minutes to record 40 points against OKC and recently crossed the 50-point barrier for the first time in his career.

With a full offensive arsenal in hand, LaVine has blossomed into a first-time All-Star as the Chicago Bulls’ leading man. Many teams have fallen to a hand that can grow warm in an instant. That’s not the type of fate any team wants to challenge with their playoff hopes on the line.