The NBA’s indefinite hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic has quarantined players inside their homes. It’s been over three weeks now, and it’s giving everyone a whole lot of time to reflect.

For Chicago Bulls guard Zach Lavine, it’s about the constant need to deal with losing. He did an interview earlier this week with veteran Bulls reporter Sam Smith, and shared as much.

“To be blunt, I’m upset … We had high expectations coming into the season and it didn’t go our way anyway we could have thought of. We played through some adversity, but we didn’t go out there and do what we were supposed to do as a team.”

Zach Lavine on losing consistently

Prior to the season getting suspended, the Bulls were only 22-43, ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, and well on their way through yet another lottery-bound campaign. That’s despite having the likes of Lavine and a whole other set of young, promising talent, namely lottery picks Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter, Kris Dunn, and Coby White. It’s nothing new, though, as the team also failed to go over 27 wins in the two previous seasons.

Lavine himself is in a deeper playoff drought. He is yet to reach the postseason in his six-year career. His time with the Minnesota Timberwolves also had tons of potential but could only produce terrible records. He had three different coaches in his three seasons there and they never won more than 31 games.

“I’ve been in the NBA six years now and it just gets frustrating … I want to be in the playoffs. I haven’t played in a playoff game and it wears on you. That’s what you work so hard for and continue to play for.”

Zach Lavine on his career playoff drought

There is zero doubt about the work that he is putting in. He’s only 25 and has now progressed as one of the most electrifying scorers in the league. In fact, excluding his injury-marred 2017-18 season, where recovered from an ACL injury and missed 58 games, Lavine has increased his scoring average every year.

As the Bulls’ lone consistent bright spot, Lavine has been putting up 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 3.1 threes per game this season. He also has six games with 40 or more points, including a 49-point outburst against the Charlotte Hornets back in late November. He was a man possessed that day as he became just the third player in NBA history to have 13 three-point field goals in one game.

The Bulls front office are uncomfortably sitting on the hot seat for a number of seasons now, and a new headache could be in play if they continue losing. As you know, there’s a growing trend of stars aggressively seeking for a trade.

Lavine signed a four-year, $78 million deal with the Bulls in 2018, and he still has two years left on his contract.