Knicks · Zac LaVine in Leon Rose's radar (page 1)

Reports have surfaced that Leon Rose have been monitoring LaVine's situation with the Bulls. I havent watched any of the bulls games in recent years, any thoughts on Zac LaVine? My impression is that he is an inefficient volume scorer. Why do i have this impression of him as a small-man version of julius Randle. I don't want him on the team i would rather have Joe Harris for an affordable pick up or if you want to trade for a potential star, il go for Buddy Hield.

Jimbo5 wrote:Reports have surfaced that Leon Rose have been monitoring LaVine's situation with the Bulls. I havent watched any of the bulls games in recent years, any thoughts on Zac LaVine? My impression is that he is an inefficient volume scorer. Why do i have this impression of him as a small-man version of julius Randle. I don't want him on the team i would rather have Joe Harris for an affordable pick up or if you want to trade for a potential star, il go for Buddy Hield.

So these reports should caveat like this: Leon Rose is monitoring every player on every team, as he and his staff should.

When a writer for an article does it, it's for click bait when this vague

I hope so Martin, i just don't want to read an article saying the knicks gave up draft picks and some of our young core for LaVine while also announcing Kidd as the new head coach! For me, with news like this, its like Phil is calling the shots all over again!

Jimbo5 wrote:Reports have surfaced that Leon Rose have been monitoring LaVine's situation with the Bulls. I havent watched any of the bulls games in recent years, any thoughts on Zac LaVine? My impression is that he is an inefficient volume scorer. Why do i have this impression of him as a small-man version of julius Randle. I don't want him on the team i would rather have Joe Harris for an affordable pick up or if you want to trade for a potential star, il go for Buddy Hield.

Zach lavine is 25 years old this past stats were 25 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assist, 45 percent from field overall, and 38 percent three. Lavine is only making 19.5 million dollars the next 2 season of a 39 million dollar contract it reasonable contract unlike buddy heild contract starts 4 year 92 million dollar contract next season. I wouldn't mind trading for lavine if for expiring contracts and one of the dallas picks.

volume shooter without defense? looking at a highlight video - all I saw was a player getting by on athleticism, fast breaks, shots in close and a three point heave reminiscent of JR Smith. Granted, that's what those videos do.

Jimbo5 wrote:Reports have surfaced that Leon Rose have been monitoring LaVine's situation with the Bulls. I havent watched any of the bulls games in recent years, any thoughts on Zac LaVine? My impression is that he is an inefficient volume scorer. Why do i have this impression of him as a small-man version of julius Randle. I don't want him on the team i would rather have Joe Harris for an affordable pick up or if you want to trade for a potential star, il go for Buddy Hield.

What would he cost in assets?

What would be the opportunity cost of the cap space implied?

There are worse ways to spend money than on Lavine. The problem with former agents ( Look at Rob Pelinka) is they are wired to ensure the "bankability" of any situation. This is why Pelinka held onto Kuzma, even though the player was a bad fit for Davis and LBJ. Pelinka saw Kuzma the way an agent would, not the way a GM would.

With Rose, you are likely to get "fun to watch basketball" over the painful quest to be a true contender. And there is nothing wrong with that. If the Knicks can get a run like the SSOL Suns, why is that so horrible? A fun team to watch whom excites the fans and generates you lots of money.

Everyone has value depending on what he costs.

One of the core problems with NBA roster building is you need a guy with a killer instinct to lead you, but not be so far down the road to hell that he's out of control. In general, guys who have said killer instinct end up being toxic for the franchise. Jordan was lucky he played in a non social media era. He got kicked out of the game for two years for gambling, so organized crime could not blackmail Stern any longer, then got his dad popped and drove his entire team and franchise up the wall.

Something to consider, no one secretly hates the typical entitled superstar athlete more than their agents or former agents. Those guys had to clean up a lot of shit. You have to make things like murder, rape, molestation, domestic abuse, drug abuse, drug dealing, gun running, ties to organized crime, gang affiliation, etc, all go away.

My sincere hope is Rose just builds a fun team to watch with relatively easy going/chill temperament players. Then keep drafting and hope you get a guy like Duncan or Curry, who combine elite talent without being a psychopath about it all.

Basically at this point Leon is waiting for a team to mess up

Id be concerned with Lavine's knees. Being the high flyer he is. Especially if Thibs is coach.

http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/b...

Bulls in a tricky situation dealing with Zach LaVine’s ailing knee

Mark Strotman

...The patellar strain is in the right knee, different from the torn ACL he suffered in left knee in 2017 and where the soreness stemmed from when he was shut down last April. LaVine has missed eight games this season, including a five-game stretch in December after spraining his ankle.

LaVine admitted that the major minutes he’s logged – he’s averaging 34.5 minutes this season, including 39.0 minutes in five March games – has also taken a toll on his body. While the minutes per game aren’t a career-high – thanks, Tom Thibodeau – he passed the 2,000-minute mark for the second time in his career, and that season – his second in Minnesota – LaVine averaged 28.0 minutes with a 23.5 percent usage rate. This time around his usage rate is 30.6 percent, 12th in the NBA.

TripleThreat wrote:

Jimbo5 wrote:Reports have surfaced that Leon Rose have been monitoring LaVine's situation with the Bulls. I havent watched any of the bulls games in recent years, any thoughts on Zac LaVine? My impression is that he is an inefficient volume scorer. Why do i have this impression of him as a small-man version of julius Randle. I don't want him on the team i would rather have Joe Harris for an affordable pick up or if you want to trade for a potential star, il go for Buddy Hield.

What would he cost in assets?

What would be the opportunity cost of the cap space implied?

There are worse ways to spend money than on Lavine. The problem with former agents ( Look at Rob Pelinka) is they are wired to ensure the "bankability" of any situation. This is why Pelinka held onto Kuzma, even though the player was a bad fit for Davis and LBJ. Pelinka saw Kuzma the way an agent would, not the way a GM would.

With Rose, you are likely to get "fun to watch basketball" over the painful quest to be a true contender. And there is nothing wrong with that. If the Knicks can get a run like the SSOL Suns, why is that so horrible? A fun team to watch whom excites the fans and generates you lots of money.

Everyone has value depending on what he costs.

One of the core problems with NBA roster building is you need a guy with a killer instinct to lead you, but not be so far down the road to hell that he's out of control. In general, guys who have said killer instinct end up being toxic for the franchise. Jordan was lucky he played in a non social media era. He got kicked out of the game for two years for gambling, so organized crime could not blackmail Stern any longer, then got his dad popped and drove his entire team and franchise up the wall.

Something to consider, no one secretly hates the typical entitled superstar athlete more than their agents or former agents. Those guys had to clean up a lot of shit. You have to make things like murder, rape, molestation, domestic abuse, drug abuse, drug dealing, gun running, ties to organized crime, gang affiliation, etc, all go away.

My sincere hope is Rose just builds a fun team to watch with relatively easy going/chill temperament players. Then keep drafting and hope you get a guy like Duncan or Curry, who combine elite talent without being a psychopath about it all.

Before World Wide Wes Leon hired Jack Ruby. Got it done then and Leon always gets it done!

Lavine got that Jamal Crawford vibe to him. sort of empty calories with good stats. But then he has not been on a quality team.

What if the front office goes all in with the bulls and try to get two of their young stars? Is there a way to get both LaVine and Markennen from the bulls? What package can get the deal done? DSJ, knox, Randle, Payton and Portis plus the Knicks 2020 1st round pick, the Dallas 1st next year and a second round next year?

What can a Kidd piloted knicks do with a starting 5 like this?

Mitch
Markennen
RJ
LaVine
Frank

This head coaching search is driving me crazy, a need a distraction from a possible Kidd hiring, I'm now coming up with unrealistic trade ideas.

you couldn't give me Zac Lavine. honestly

RJ exudes winner and killer instinct. Zac is too cool for school and wants no part of defense.

why do we want someone else's problems. Are the Bulls that stacked at the 2 that dummping/trading Lavine makes any sense to a buyer

Didn’t Thibs trade him off the wolves?

Nalod wrote:Didn’t Thibs trade him off the wolves?

Yep, looks like he's off the radar now!

These are just wild rumors. The Knicks don't need LaVine. Plus, until we see how the draft goes, we don't really know what the eventual team needs will be this year. If we end up drafting two guards/small forwards, then adding LaVine would make no sense.

Jimbo5 wrote:Reports have surfaced that Leon Rose have been monitoring LaVine's situation with the Bulls. I havent watched any of the bulls games in recent years, any thoughts on Zac LaVine? My impression is that he is an inefficient volume scorer. Why do i have this impression of him as a small-man version of julius Randle. I don't want him on the team i would rather have Joe Harris for an affordable pick up or if you want to trade for a potential star, il go for Buddy Hield.

I'd rather buy low on lauri or otto porter than get lavine

Conspiracy theory time: Think Berman said Thibs was actually offered the job on Thursday 23rd. Suddenly on the 24th Bagely reports that the Knicks are monitoring the Zac LaVine situation. Then when the Chicago Sun Times asks him about Thibs hiring, he replied:

In hiring the former Bulls coach, New York sent a loud message that the days of being an NBA punchline are over. Not only will Thibodeau give the Knicks instant credibility, but will make them a much more dangerous threat in the Eastern Conference than the Bulls will be in two years.

By Joe Cowley Jul 25, 2020, 4:43pm CDT
Z
ach LaVine’s eyes lit up, as a smile came across his face.

Of course the Bulls guard was excited to talk about “my guy.’’
“[His] style works,’’ LaVine said back in February of the coach. “He’s not a beat-around-the-bush type of guy. This is just a guy that once you buy into his coaching, I mean look at the track record. It’s pretty damn good.’’

Unquestionably the biggest endorsement LaVine has given a head coach since arriving in Chicago back in 2017.

And unfortunately it wasn’t directed at his current one.

Heck, he wasn’t even talking about his former Bulls coach in Fred Hoiberg.

Nope, it was the one that traded him to Chicago years ago, and the same one that Bulls fans know all too well. Three seasons later, LaVine was still raving about his one-year of experience playing under Tom Thibodeau.

“Mr. Thibs,’’ LaVine said at the time. “He should damn well be coaching somewhere, that’s for sure.’’

And now it looks like he will be, with the Knicks and Thibodeau dotting the final Is and crossing a few Ts on a five-year deal as of Saturday.

A deal that not only brings New York back to NBA relevance, but in the big picture of the Eastern Conference, now catapults their rebuild ahead of the Bulls.

Crazy?

Not at all.

So wonder if this rumour has more legs than I initially thought...

smackeddog wrote:Conspiracy theory time: Think Berman said Thibs was actually offered the job on Thursday 23rd. Suddenly on the 24th Bagely reports that the Knicks are monitoring the Zac LaVine situation. Then when the Chicago Sun Times asks him about Thibs hiring, he replied:

In hiring the former Bulls coach, New York sent a loud message that the days of being an NBA punchline are over. Not only will Thibodeau give the Knicks instant credibility, but will make them a much more dangerous threat in the Eastern Conference than the Bulls will be in two years.

By Joe Cowley Jul 25, 2020, 4:43pm CDT
Z
ach LaVine’s eyes lit up, as a smile came across his face.

Of course the Bulls guard was excited to talk about “my guy.’’
“[His] style works,’’ LaVine said back in February of the coach. “He’s not a beat-around-the-bush type of guy. This is just a guy that once you buy into his coaching, I mean look at the track record. It’s pretty damn good.’’

Unquestionably the biggest endorsement LaVine has given a head coach since arriving in Chicago back in 2017.

And unfortunately it wasn’t directed at his current one.

Heck, he wasn’t even talking about his former Bulls coach in Fred Hoiberg.

Nope, it was the one that traded him to Chicago years ago, and the same one that Bulls fans know all too well. Three seasons later, LaVine was still raving about his one-year of experience playing under Tom Thibodeau.

“Mr. Thibs,’’ LaVine said at the time. “He should damn well be coaching somewhere, that’s for sure.’’

And now it looks like he will be, with the Knicks and Thibodeau dotting the final Is and crossing a few Ts on a five-year deal as of Saturday.

A deal that not only brings New York back to NBA relevance, but in the big picture of the Eastern Conference, now catapults their rebuild ahead of the Bulls.

Crazy?

Not at all.

So wonder if this rumour has more legs than I initially thought...

Something to keep in mind; Thibs has a rep as a coach with an extreme work ethic and expects his players to be the same way. He is very demanding and his style doesn't work well with guys who don't have that same mentality (see Towns and Wiggins.) I think LaVine's glowing endorsement may be trying to let the world knows that he falls into that category of tireless work ethic that thibs practices. Seems like guys with elite work ethics love thibs and guys without that don't like him. LaVine wants to be known as part of the first group.

He's a fun player to watch, but the lack of impact on the game (like Nalod said) is worrying:

Think BRIGGS was high on him back in the day

If Thibs wants him and Lavine has matured to see his role in the process then it could be great! Players evolve also.

Nalod wrote:If Thibs wants him and Lavine has matured to see his role in the process then it could be great! Players evolve also.

He did enjoy playing for thibs. Not sure though how they fits with RJ