Doc Rivers praises LaVine ahead of first All-Star appearance originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Growing up in Chicago, Doc Rivers knows what having an All-Star means to the Bulls and to the city.
And now, as the Eastern Conference All-Star coach and head of Team Durant, Rivers gets to coach Zach LaVine in his first All-Star appearance.
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“You kind of saw it coming,” Rivers said Sunday morning on a Zoom media session about LaVine’s ascension. “But it’s been amazing. His ability to score the basketball, especially in the situation where when you’re playing the Bulls, you kind of know where they’re going. He’s their go-to guy and yet he’s still getting it. And he’s doing it efficiently.”
In his day job, Rivers coaches the 76ers, who open the second half of the season at the United Center on Thursday. In the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 19 -- the Bulls' lone national TV appearance from the first half -- Joel Embiid notched a monster line of 50 points and 17 rebounds to lead Philadelphia to a 112-105 victory. LaVine put up one of his 17 30-point outings, but on a rare off shooting night (9-for-28).
LaVine did, however, make all 10 free-throw attempts. Rivers knows what kind of shooter he is.
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“He’s one of the rare (athletic) guys -- usually, athletic guys are more at the basket and we know him for his dunks -- that’s a great shooter. That combination you don’t get to see a lot,” Rivers said. “And we’re seeing it now.”
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