To be clear I watch maybe 1 Bulls game a season so this is a genuine question. People don’t really hype him or see him as the elite player his stats paint him to be. Last 3 seasons he’s averaging 25/5/5 on 62% TS. Those are All NBA numbers. Advanced stats (EPM/RAPTOR) last season say he’s a similar level to guys like Jamal Murray, Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo etc. So he has the counting stats and advanced metrics that stack up to those guys but is obviously worse than them in most people’s eyes . What is wrong with Lavine that im not seeing statistically?
Because it’s not 1997 anymore.
He’s held in perfect regard
Because his team isn’t that good, the same thing happened to Devin Booker for years.
I mean he hasn’t done anything that impactful as a whole
Shitty defender, low BBIQ, stats are ultimately a little empty calorie because his teams don’t win games.
Advanced stats are all rife with flaws and this is a perfect example.
So he’s the guard version of KAT?
I firmly believe he could become a semi decent to average defender if he loses his first option status
I mean other than scoring efficiently for mediocre teams, what else has he shown? Average playmaker for his position, not a great rebounder, not a good defender.
People focus on his faults a lot more than his strengths
and a lot of people dont realize how hard it is to be the primary option on a team for 7 years - when the scouting report is all about you, the opposing team’s best defender is always on you, and still average an efficient 25+ ppg with practically no other shooters around you.
He’s not a #1 guy, but he’s elite at what he does, but put him next to an actual #1 like Embiid, Bron, etc. and you’ll notice his strengths a hell of a lot more