Nobody knew exactly what to expect from former UCLA Bruins player Zach LaVine as an NBA player. Fans knew he could jump, but other than an incredible vertical, LaVine was a bit of a mystery prospect, causing him to nearly drop out of the lottery in 2014. The Minnesota Timberwolves decided to take a chance on the point guard even though he was visibly distraught at the idea of taking his talents to the freezing state of Minnesota, infamously dropping an f-bomb when his name as called.
Through the first five games of the season, LaVine was buried behind Ricky Rubio and veteran Mo Williams, playing a mere 13 total minutes during that stretch. When Rubio suffered a severe ankle sprain though, Lavine’s minutes skyrocketed. He has ended up starting five games thus far. Despite the constantly fluctuating playing time, he has displayed flashes of his high upside, most notably versus the Los Angeles Lakers when he dropped a career-high 28 points and five assists.
This performance proved he deserved all of the hype and that his overall skillset is not predicated solely on his athleticism. His uncanny jumping ability certainly helps his game, but LaVine is also a very capable jump shooter from everywhere on the floor. The 19-year-old rookie is a shaky ball handler as he tends to turn the ball over, but he should be able to clean that up with experience.
How will he find playing time once Rubio inevitably returns from injury? Rubio is obviously the best option, and Flip Saunders won’t just bench Mo Williams for a rookie. As the season progresses and the Timberwolves fall further and further out of playoff contention, maybe Saunders will look to unload some veterans to allow room for the young prospects.
Developing a player like LaVine will be much more valuable for the future than hanging onto an aging Williams.
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