G | 6-5, 183 LBS
2014-15 season: 77 games, 40 starts, 24.7 MPG, 10.1 PPG, 3.6 APG, 2.8 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 42.2 FG%, 34.1 3P%, 84.2 FT%
Slam Dunk Contest Winner, 2014-15 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
When Zach LaVine was drafted by the Wolves with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, fans saw a dynamic player. An athlete. A YouTube sensation.
He rose up draft boards and you kept hearing the word “ceiling” when it came to LaVine. Not because he could jump through the ceiling, but because his potential could. When it came to upside, not many prospects had a higher one than LaVine.
After weeks of speculation, the Wolves selected the UCLA guard. Then LaVine made the national news for something that he did or did not say out of “shock”. And you can’t blame the kid. He just became a multi-millionaire and received the chance to live out a childhood dream.
LaVine then did something that Minnesota fans loved. He embraced the city. He ate a Juicy Lucy. He threw out the first pitch at a Twins game and gave a big wave to the crowd. He even took a picture with his favorite player, Mike Trout, and chatted with Twins second basemen Brian Dozier.
In his first summer with the club, he worked out almost daily with teammate Robbie Hummel and Summer League teammates Brady Heslip and Kyrylo Fesenko.
It was evident from talking to LaVine right away that he was a confident, but not cocky, kid. He was very sure in his skills and told the media members he looked up to Kobe Bryant, but would “go at him” if he needed to – something he did when the Wolves played at the Staples Center in November.
He also made it known that he was going to take part in the Slam Dunk Contest. And he would win. This, of course, is something he did as well. And to say he “won” it, really isn’t giving him enough credit. He owned that contest. Being at Barclays that night, fans were going crazy over everything LaVine did. When looking back at the film, it might not be that the other dunkers were so bad, but in comparison to LaVine, really, they didn’t have a fighting chance.
LaVine also had a fantastic Friday night at the All-Star Break, scoring 22 points in a Team USA loss to Andrew Wiggins’ World squad. If the USA had won, LaVine likely would have been the MVP.
Of course playing well in the Rookie/Sophomore Game or winning the Slam Dunk Contest doesn’t make you a good NBA player. Just ask Jeremy Evans.
LaVine’s season was been a bit of a roller coaster. After looking impressive in Summer League and in Training Camp, LaVine started the season off rusty. Mostly due to being stuck on the bench behind guys like Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin and Mo Williams.
In October and November, LaVine played in just 12 games and 240 collective minutes. But then Rubio got hurt in early November. Martin did as well. And then it was LaVine’s time to shine, for better or worse.
His coming out party came on Nov. 28 against the Lakers when he finished with 28 points in just 25 minutes and 30 seconds.
"He's got talent flowing out of his fingertips,” Memphis head coach Dave Joerger said. “We all point to the athleticism and everything, but I think he really likes to play. It appears that way and watching him in the predraft workouts I could really tell that he likes to play. I like him a lot. You try to get a guy that can play multiple positions and he can play multiple positions. He can play the 1, 2, or 3 in this league. This league is moving toward athleticism, shooting, and playmaking, and if guys don't have those things, they're going to struggle to get on the floor. He has all of those things."
Two nights later, he was scoreless, but that’s the life of a rookie. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.
(I'm convinced it's impossible for LaVine to get too low. The guy is always so sure of himself, which is a good thing for an NBA player learning on the run.)
He’s had his rough moments. Playing point guard was and still is a work in progress. Defensively he can get lost in rotations. Sometimes his shot selection is very questionable. But again, that’s growing as a rookie. For being a player who wasn’t considered to be NBA ready right when he came to the NBA, what he’s done has been pretty impressive.
Whether it was the confidence he got at All-Star Weekend or simply having a few days off, LaVine’s numbers since the break have been everything the Wolves could have asked for: 14.2 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.0 RPG, 43.1 FG%, 38 3P%, 86.9 FT%.
“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,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. “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."
Overall, LaVine’s rookie season was a success and that was proven after being named to the All-Rookie Second Team. He’ll go into the offseason knowing that he can play in this league. Now he just needs to prove he can be a star in it.
“I know what’s going to be coming in Training Camp and in the preseason and all that,” LaVine said at the end of the season. “I know what I can do and I know where I want to get to in my career. I’m ready for this offseason to start.”
Top Three Games Of The Season
3.) April 15 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
LaVine gave fans a glimpse of the future in the season finale. The Wolves fell 138-113 against the Thunder. There was literally no defense played in this game, and LaVine took advantage of that. Good for him.
In 40 minutes and 41 seconds, LaVine finished with 19 points, a game-high 13 assists, five rebounds, three steals and a block. It was a sign that LaVine can survive in stints at the point guard position.
With that being said, it wasn’t a great shooting night for the former UCLA star. He shot 6-of-16 from the field and 1-of-5 from the three-point line. He was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, though.
2.) November 28 at Los Angeles Lakers
This was LaVine’s “Welcome to the NBA” game. The Wolves won 120-119 on the road against the Lakers thanks to LaVine’s 28 points off the bench. Yeah, 28 points is cool and all, but 28 points in less than 26 minutes is even cooler. LaVine shot an efficient 11-of-14 from the field, 2-of-2 from the three-point line and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. He was driving to the basket at an effective rate and his athleticism was on display all night long. He also added five assists and one rebound.
It must have been an awesome experience for LaVine to do it against Kobe Bryant, his idol growing up.
1.) April 11 at Golden State Warriors
LaVine’s best game of the season came in this road loss to the Golden State Warriors. In 44 minutes and 45 seconds of play, LaVine finished with a season-high 37 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists. The three-point shot was big for LaVine in this one. He shot 6-of-10 from deep. The rest of the Wolves hit just five threes. He finished 13-of-21 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. His nine rebounds also marked a season-high. Not a bad night for the best dunker in the NBA.
Top Offseason Objectives
Adding Strength
The biggest thing for the 20-year-old slasher will be to get stronger. LaVine joked throughout the season that he’s never really lifted weights… And with his skinny frame, that’s not exactly a surprise. With his leaping ability and pure athleticism, being strong really wasn't a necessity in college ball and high school, but it definitely is in the NBA.
He doesn’t need to go LaRon Landry on us, but adding 5-10 pounds of muscle would help LaVine absorb contact at the basket. For a high-flier like LaVine, he’ll need to be able to bounce off opponents – especially now that that league knows just how good LaVine is at finishing at the basket.
Playing The Point
Right now the Wolves have two point guards on their roster – Ricky Rubio and Lorenzo Brown. Brown probably isn’t ready to a team’s main back-up point guard. If the Wolves don’t add another point guard in the draft or free agency – something I think is unlikely, LaVine will have those duties.
We’ve seen him excel from the point guard position, but he sometimes got overwhelmed with running the offense – something understandable for a rookie. Chances are LaVine won’t play as many minutes at the point as he did last season, but it wouldn’t hurt him to continue to work on his ball handling and passing.
Launching The Long Ball
LaVine finished the season shooting 34.1 percent from the three-point line. That doesn’t scream Kyle Korver, but it’s impressive given how LaVine started the season. In November and December, LaVine shot 27.8 and 23.3 percent from deep, respectively. "Ugh", Wolves fans thought.
Not so fast. He upped that number to 42.6 percent in the month of March, hitting 23 over 16 games. We know LaVine can shoot, he just needs to do it at a higher rate in his second season. If LaVine could bump that number just three percent - to 37, the Wolves (and LaVine) would benefit tremendously.
A lot of LaVine’s improving had to do with shot selection. During the start of the season, LaVine would panic and jack up a three with 14 seconds on the shot clock. That will make any head coach lose hair, even Sidney Lowe who doesn’t have any hair (Sorry, Sid).
Slam Dunk Champion x2
We can already confirm that LaVine has been working on his dunking this offseason (as if he needs to). It’s a big part of his marketability, and hey, can you really blame a guy for dunking non-stop when he has a 46-inch vertical?
Apparently, though, basketballs have become to easy for LaVine to dunk. He's turned into Jimmy Graham.
They Said It…
“He’s dynamic, man. He can get up and down the floor pretty quickly. 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.” – Kevin Durant’s scouting report on Zach LaVine.