Zach LaVine didn’t have the chance to meet Victor Wembanyama in Paris last week.
While the Bulls guard didn’t get the facetime with the 19-year-old, he definitely took notice of him sitting courtside at the Accor Arena.
Then again, how could LaVine miss him?
“I had to look up there,’’ LaVine said on Sunday, pretending to look up to the sky in reference to Wembanyama’s height.
Asked if he’s seen highlights of what the top prospect brings to the court, LaVine responded, “Oh yeah, we all have. He’s 7-foot-5, can shoot the ball, can handle the ball, he’s a freak.’’
Wembanyama actually measures 7-2, but the point was made.
The big man is an organizational game-changer. A generational talent that can turn basement dwellers into potential championship contenders, and do so quickly.
Wembanyama also happens to be the reason that the NBA landscape is about to start changing in the upcoming weeks.
With the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaching, this is the time of the season where teams start showing their hands on what they are. Are they in on tanking for a shot at Wembanyama? Are they looking to make a blockbuster deal and make a run? Or could they simply stay pat, maybe with a tweak to the depth?
Those answers are all coming.
“Each year it’s something different, and I think we’ve seen over the last couple years it can change to see which teams are going all in, who is really shallowing out, so we’ll see,’’ LaVine said. “I have no guesses on what’s going to happen. One way or the other it can get interesting if it starts moving.’’
Veteran teammate DeMar DeRozan agreed.
“Everybody else in the league is going to do what they feel is best for them,’’ DeRozan said of the next few weeks. “I feel like for us, we’re right there. We have to take advantage of the opportunity that’s in front of us.’’
What does that mean as far as the deadline was concerned? DeRozan had no idea. He’s not into trying to read minds. But he does know what it means for the Bulls on the court.
With Paris in the rearview mirror, the Bulls used the last few days to refocus on the business of basketball, sitting at 21-24 and in the final play-in spot of the Eastern Conference. However, they are 10-6 in their last 16 games, playing some of their best basketball of the season.
That not only has to continue, but get even better.
They dug themselves in this hole, and now it’s time to start climbing out. That means a quick dose of reality, hosting Atlanta on Monday, then off to a three-city trip with games in Indiana, Charlotte and Orlando.
“We see the position in the standings,’’ LaVine said. “Every one of these games going forward is important because of the circumstances we’ve put ourselves in, and we’re up for the challenge.’’
They better be, because the Bulls are not in the Wembanyama sweepstakes and aren’t expected to pivot in that direction. Back in the preseason, executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas put the goal of reaching the second round of the playoffs on this team, and that bar has not lowered.
The NBA landscape might be changing, but there’s a good chance very little does with this Bulls roster.
“We had a helluva first half of the season with a lot of ups and downs,’’ DeRozan said. “Now it’s time to turn everything we went through this second half into a positive side. We’re right there. It’s a great opportunity this week to take it one game at a time and write our own story. That’s all we can worry about.’’
