Zach LaVine is as dangerous on offense as ever
Because it is so early in the season, I try not to presume the good teams are good and the bad teams are bad even if it conforms to what my preconceived notions were in the offseason. The Chicago Bulls are 5-9, but 15 games into the season, that record could be misleading. To learn more, I dive into the stats and pick through what makes sense and what doesn’t while thinking through what kind of game the Detroit Pistons might be facing. It turns out, the Chicago Bulls are bad for good reason. Offensively, Chicago has potent weapons, particularly Zach LaVine. The maligned guard is averaging more than 20 points per game and shooting it with high efficiency at high volume.
LaVine doesn’t really provide you anything else, but he’s paid to score, and that is what he does. The same could be said of Nikola Vucevic and Coby White. So again, why are the Bulls bad? Defensively, they seem to be just a mess. They particularly struggle sealing off the paint. No team in the NBA allows more shot attempts in the restricted area than the Bulls (34.1 per game), and they allow opponents to shoot 70%, which is tied for third-worst in the NBA. That is a lethal combination. They are also terrible at generating second-chance opportunities and are among the worst rebounding defenses in the NBA. Hopefully, the Pistons can take advantage.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -4.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons
(7-8)
Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Chicago Bulls (5-9)
Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic