Zach LaVine has two things that coaches and fans love in young players.
Confidence and work ethic.
LaVine is known as a gym rat among NBA circles. Just ask Mike Penberthy. LaVine and Penberthy have worked together for countless evening hours on LaVine’s shot and other parts of his game.
When LaVine came out of UCLA after his freshman season, fans and scouts echoed that he might be a project. While the 2014-15 season hasn’t been without bumps for LaVine, he did put up 28 points against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers and 14 assists against Stephen Curry a[[{"fid":"31355","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","attributes":{"style":"font-size: 13.0080003738403px; line-height: 1.538em; float: right; background-color: transparent;","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]nd the Warriors.
There’s not just potential here. There’s talent.
When you talk to LaVine, he’s got that “swag” to him. He’s obviously confident, but he’s not cocky.
His childhood idol was, of course, Bryant. Before the Wolves faced off against the Lakers back on Nov. 28, LaVine said he was going to “go after (Bryant), because I know he’s going to come after me.”
That’s a mentality that fans want in any player. It almost sounds like something Bryant would say.
“With my own goals in hand, though, I’m someone that, I feel like I’m ready to play now. I want to go out there. I have the highest goals for myself,” LaVine said. “That’s going out there and being the best player on the floor every time. That’s my mentality. If it’s Michael Jordan, you know, that’s the mentality I take to the court. I always want to improve. I’m someone who’s always going to be in the gym working on my game, but I have the confidence to step in and play right now.”
LaVine knows that this road to success in the NBA isn’t just a few miles. This is a trip that will rack up some frequent flier miles.
During his rookie season, LaVine has averaged 8.0 points, 3.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game. He’s started 21 games at the point guard position as Ricky Rubio and Mo Williams have dealt with injuries.
The fact that he’s played so much point guard probably means that we haven’t seen what LaVine is truly capable of. The Rendon, WA native hasn’t played point guard since high school and was used as a heat check player at UCLA, used to putting up points in a hurry. He was a projected shooting guard when he came into the league, but coach Flip Saunders also said he would use LaVine as a point guard, similar to what Orlando did with Victor Oladipo in his rookie season.
If there’s a comparison out there, although comparisons are dangerous, it’s of fellow UCLA standout and current Thunder guard Russell Westbrook. LaVine is nowhere near as strong as Westbrook is, but when it comes to athleticism, these two are in a league of their own.
“He’s dynamic, man. He can get up and down the floor pretty quickly,” Westbrook’s teammate Kevin Durant said. “He’s long and athletic. He can shoot it. But yeah, he’s going to be really good. I think he’s 19 years old?... I was 19 coming into the league so I know how tough it is every single night.”
It’s also clear that Westbrook isn’t your everyday point guard, which is what makes him so good… and sometimes put under the spotlight.
“(Lavine’s) talented. He seems to be a kid who is going to continue to improve,” said Westbrook’s head coach Scott Brooks. “His skill-set is good. I don’t know nothing about how he works, but from what I’m hearing, he’s a worker. That’s a good combination, if you have skill-set and you’re a hard worker… He seems like a good kid.”
When you see him on the court, along with fellow 19-year-old Andrew Wiggins, it’s easy to forget, well, that’s he’s just 19 years old. He’s never heard of Maroon 5. He loves playing NBA2K15. When he goes to Subway, he makes sure to ask what kind of cookies they have ready, and of course, how many of them.
While LaVine doesn’t live with his parents, his family did make the move with him to Minnesota along with LaVine’s sister to ease LaVine's rookie season... And get some home-cooked meals in the process.
“LaVine looks fantastic out there and then they showed him up close and it's like, 'Wow. He's just a kid.' He's playing well and he might be one of those guys that get it right away and age doesn't matter,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “It is a dynamic that's there in the league now. There are so many young players and it's tough to develop them all at the same time, especially in the West where there are so many good teams."
LaVine will likely feel a bit more free when Kevin Martin and Rubio return from injury. That will allow LaVine to be a shooting guard coming off the bench, perhaps letting Rubio guide him to some easy buckets. Saunders has stressed many times this season just how difficult it is for a rookie, let alone one playing point guard, to play in the NBA.
We’ve seen some good and bad out of LaVine this season, which is expected for a rookie. He’ll be part of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest this week and will no doubt turn some heads. Minnesota fans hope he can continue to do that for years to come as he grows up with Wiggins and Rubio.