The start to the 2024-25 NBA season can be viewed as a modest success for the Los Angeles Lakers. Patience is something that has been preached for this team. However, time is not an aspect that is working in the Lakers' favor.
No one needs to be reminded that LeBron James is 40 years old. Although, his continued level of excellence on the court will often put that thought on the backburner for most. This next point also feels somewhat obvious, but it still needs to be said that the window to win another championship with him and Anthony Davis is growing smaller by the day.
A healthy chunk of the Lakers faithful have pleaded for Rob Pelinka to be more aggressive in surrounding James and Davis with more talent. In defense of Pelinka, good options to push the Lakers closer to a title have been somewhat scarce. Perhaps this is where Zach LaVine comes in.
The Chicago Bulls star was largely viewed as a negative asset during the NBA offseason due to his massive contract. The injury concerns with LaVine certainly did not help his case either. What has shifted that narrative in this discussion would be the fact that the two-time All-Star is back to playing elite basketball.
Zach LaVine has shown he still has a ton to offer
LaVine has reminded everyone just how talented of an offensive player he really is. The Bulls guard is averaging 23.8 points and 4.5 assists per game during the 2024-25 NBA season. While those numbers do not necessarily jump off the page, his scoring efficiency in this campaign certainly does.
LaVine is posting some of his best production in multiple categories. The 51.6 field goal percentage, 45.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 64.0 true shooting percentage are all career-highs for the former slam dunk champion.
The Bulls' 18-23 record this season does not look impressive on the surface. However, considering the expectations surrounding the team before the season started, it can certainly be said that Chicago is overachieving at the moment. LaVine's excellent play has a big part in that.
The Bulls likely do not want to be a good team however. Their 2025 first round draft pick is owned by the San Antonio Spurs. In order to trigger the protections on that pick for a loaded 2025 NBA Draft class, it is in the best interests of the Bulls to be as bad as possible.
This is where the Lakers come in. Unlike Chicago, Los Angeles has every intention of being competitive this year. Despite that, the Lakers feel a step below the elite contenders in the Western Conference. The argument can be made that this is a better team than last season. However, the pathway to a championship does not appear to be any closer for Los Angeles.
LaVine's stellar play should force the Lakers to at least reevaluate the potential value he can add to a team that wants to catch up to the Boston Celtics in the championship banner count. Financially, this is now a much more difficult trade to envision after trading D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this season. However, the path to striking a deal has not been completely eliminated.