BOSTON – Zach LaVine is way more businessman than salesman when it comes to the free throw line.
He’s been trying to figure out how to change that, but the Bulls guard still finds himself looking for a little respect.
LaVine has seemingly never been given the benefit of the doubt by NBA officials when it comes to attacking the rim and drawing the foul.
With two All-Star appearances on the resume and a max contract in the bank, he was figuring that could change a bit coming into the 2022-23 campaign. It hasn’t. If anything, it’s gotten worse.
“I don’t know,’’ LaVine said, when asked why he doesn’t get more favorable whistles. “I keep attacking, I try to at least. It’s not like I’m not going to the hole and trying to get contact. It’s frustrating. I try and play through it.’’
And his reward for that entering the game with the Celtics on Monday has been 4.3 free throw attempts per game – his lowest since the 2016-17 season with the Timberwolves.
“Maybe I have to learn how to sell it a little better,’’ LaVine said. “I’ve never been good about selling it to get calls. I try and get the and-one. I’ll keep fighting through it. If not, there’s other ways to combat through it and get to the line. I’ll figure it out.’’
Hopefully sooner than later.
For someone that has made attacking the rim a big part of his game the last nine seasons, LaVine does make a good point about the lack of whistles. His best season in getting to the free throw line came in 2018-19, when LaVine averaged 6.0 attempts per game.
To put that in perspective, teammate DeMar DeRozan – who attacks mid-range in the paint and does have elite footwork – was averaging 8.2 attempts per game this season, and has been below six free throw attempts per game just once in the last decade.
Crash Caruso
Alex Caruso was back in the rotation in Boston, recovered from an ankle sprain that cost him the last two games.
It’s been a strange last month for the team’s best wing defender, as he’s missed six of the last 15 games with different ailments, but watched his teammates go 4-2 in his absence.
Still, coach Billy Donovan knows the Bulls are a better team with a healthy Caruso than one in street clothes. The puzzle remained how to keep him healthy. Monitoring his minutes remained the most logical answer.
“One of the things that we had talked about at the end of last year was his availability,’’ Donovan said. “He brought it up when he and I talked about it [in the exit interview]. Even talking to him, throughout his career he hasn’t really played as many minutes as he’s played for us.
“But I also think with the way he plays and how hard he plays, there are certain guys I think just the way they are they can absorb night after night after night 36 [minutes]. I’m not saying Alex can’t endure it, he just hasn’t been asked to do that through a good portion of his career.’’
Green update
Javonte Green remained sidelined with right knee soreness, as the waiting game continued on how he recovers in the therapy he’s been undergoing with trainers.
“They want to basically continue to do treatment on him and just see where he is after a week or so through the treatment,’’ Donovan said. “I think he’s still having some discomfort. See where it goes from there.’’
Green has now missed 13 games with the knee issue.
