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Zach LaVine had just signed his 12th 30-point game of the season, fourth in the league behind heavy hitters Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry.
Three of those points in the Bulls’ serious 120-112 overtime win over the Pacers on Monday night came on a ridiculously difficult 3-point step backwards over Domantas Sabonis that pushed the Bulls ahead by just one late in the game. regulation. And LaVine, who also caught nine rebounds, played a defense strong enough throughout to garner praise after the game in that department from coach Billy Donovan.
“Thad (Young) has been, for me personally, the MVP of the team,” said LaVine.
Say again?
“He does a little bit of everything,” LaVine said. “He can be close to a triple-double average. He makes up for our mistakes defensively, keeps some of the best big men every night. Even though he’s undersized, he knows how to play tricks with them. been great for us. (Monday night) he showed it again with crucial plays – getting loads and rebounds, being physical. He’s the kind of guy you like to have on your team. “
LaVine has a good chance of traveling to Atlanta for his first NBA All-Star appearance next month. Young, in his 14th season, will be heading for a family moment. But LaVine knows what’s going on. With 13 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and several crucial plays that contributed to the victory, Young placed his fingerprints all over the overtime victory.
Just like he’s been doing all season.
“I feel like he’s always playing the right game,” said Wendell Carter Jr.
Young is now averaging 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals on a career-high 59.7 percent shot. He’s recorded at least one steal in 15 straight games, tied with Chris Paul for the league streak.
When asked what it was to shoot such a high percentage, Young smiled.
“It’s cool,” he says.
Given his friendly salary deal, which only comes with a partial guarantee for the 2021-22 season, he will not be short of suitors for Young’s services as next month’s NBA trade deadline arrives. How the Bulls’ new management regime navigates this situation will be intriguing to watch.
Simply put, Young, 32, plays sublime basketball on the court. And his leadership also pays dividends. But don’t take our word for it. Hear from Wendell Carter Jr., who returned from his quad injury Monday night with plenty of teaching points for young people – verbal and for example – to follow.
“He’s a phenomenal pocket player,” Carter said. “As a vet he just thinks about the game. He slows down the game for himself and it’s pretty impressive, especially with the games that I got to really watch. He’s a great player and I see why he has been in this league for so long.
“We had conversations while I was away. After games, during practice and he just tells me like, ‘Dude, you catch in the pocket, you’ve got all day. You can take your time. You can literally look at the weak side, see if someone is there and if you got a line in the bucket, take it. It’s as simple as that. “
Donovan has been talking all season about keeping Young cool by keeping his minutes at a reasonable level. Young takes pride in his off-season training schedule and is still in fantastic shape. He also spoke on Monday how, for years, he had transformed his hotel room into a secondary training room on trips, using in-room recovery methods he had learned over the years.
But he still appreciates Donovan’s approach.
“There were times in my career where I played huge amounts of minutes throughout games and it took its toll, just like on any athlete’s body, “Young said.” Especially at Indy, when I was playing stretches. where I was playing about 37, 38 minutes per game for five, six, or seven games. And I would just be a little dead in the water for two to three games. It’s hard to maintain throughout a basketball season, especially when you’re playing 82 games – in this case, 72.
“So we’ve just had these conversations about when we’re doing things in practice that maybe it’s things I already know or maybe I’m familiar or acclimatized that I’m acclimated to. don’t have to go out the side or take a few trips. But I’m the type who wants to be there if we practice or play to really get it out the window. But for the most part, the Coach Donovan has been good just making sure our bodies and our minds and our minds are right before we go into every game. ”
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Young’s solid outing on Monday night was that he landed his fourth foul just in the middle of the third quarter. Not only did Young not shoot another foul, but he took two charges from Sabonis and saved his best for last. He posted 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal while playing all overtime.
“Thad was basically my vet, my rookie year in Minnesota,” LaVine said. “I think we all understand how good he is. He’s obviously helped Indiana a lot. His plus-minus on the field was ridiculous when we were here (for three seasons with the Pacers). He shot over 50%. for most of his he has always been among the best in the league when it comes to stealing, being able to hold multiple positions even when he was with Philly.
“Obviously, I personally know Thad as my best teammate I’ve had and one of my best friends in the league. So I’ve always trusted him. So seeing him in that role and being able to s ‘Thriving is something that we and he needed the opportunity to do it again because he’s that type of player.
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