Chicago Bulls' LaVine says he wasn't trying to point fingers after Dallas loss
Zach LaVine and Chicago Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg talked it out after Monday's loss in Dallas and both said everything was fine.
LaVine expressed frustration in the locker room following the 115-109 loss, telling reporters, "We've got to run the right sets out there. … If we would have run the right plays, got the ball to the right people, I think we would have been all right."
LaVine backtracked a bit before the interview ended, saying he wasn't trying to place blame on Hoiberg. LaVine scored 34 points against Dallas, hitting 11 of 15 shots from the field.
"Me and Fred talked," LaVine said Tuesday at the Advocate Center. "I think the main thing was I was just upset that we lost. I'm a really competitive person, so I think the main thing is I was just upset. I want to win. Everything is all good. I didn't want it to come across as finger-pointing."
LaVine is far from the first player in basketball history to proclaim, "Maybe we would have won if you guys got me the ball more often." It probably just happened in a pickup game down the street from where you live.
Hoiberg has surely heard it before.
"I felt it was important that we have a conversation about the game and what was said," the coach said. "There was a lot of things that we did well in that game last night and obviously in the fourth quarter we had a really tough stretch.
"I know Zach's a very competitive kid. I know he took that loss hard yesterday as well as the Detroit game. That's two frustrating losses that we need to learn from and get better from, but I know Zach has the right intentions."
During four years in the NBA, LaVine has played on losing teams, which adds to his frustration.
"I don't want to go home early anymore. That stinks," he said. "I think that's what we're trying to get to is learning how to win."
LaVine's scoring soars:
Losses aside, these first three games have been eye-opening as Zach LaVine displayed his refined scoring skills.
As of Tuesday morning, LaVine ranked third in the league in scoring at 32.3 points per game, trailing Charlotte's Kemba Walker, Wednesday's opponent, and former Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic. LaVine is shooting an impressive 61.8 percent from the field.
"I feel really good," LaVine said. "Hopefully I can stay in that rhythm. I'll get rid of all that just to get 3 wins."
LaVine mentioned his new scoring skills are about more than being fully recovered from ACL surgery. He's never been the main guy on his team before, either.
"(The Bulls) put me in the position, give me the opportunity to go out there and shoot," he said. "In Minnesota, I felt good at times, but obviously I was the third option. So you had to give a little bit, take a little bit."
Parker shows progress:
Jabari Parker has scored 15, 13 and 20 points in his first three games with the Bulls. His ideal role is still unclear, but it seems plausible Parker can help the Bulls somehow.
"He's getting more comfortable and more comfortable every game," teammate Zach LaVine said. "It's a new system for him, a new team. He got put in a different role.
"That's a lot of adjustment for somebody that didn't actually play a lot last year. So it's tough to judge somebody off of that. I feel him. He's back to himself. He's looking really good right now. He's been looking good in practice and everything too."