Polling Place: Are the Bulls a better team without Zach LaVine?

In their first handful of games playing without injured guard Zach LaVine, the Bulls resembled a — what’s it called again? — basketball team.

But are they truly better without the $215 million man? That’s a question they’re going to have to answer — if they haven’t already — whether or not there’s a strong trade market for LaVine, a player with all the physical tools but some that too often go unused.

It was topic No. 1 in this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on the site formerly known as Twitter.

“Of course they’re better without him,” @Jeanczt76 commented. “They should trade him before the entire league realizes that.”

“It was obvious years ago,” @MarkWal31038857 wrote. “What’s tragic is it took so long for management to recognize.”

@HogFather76 offered a twist: “I’d like to see a healthy LaVine without DeMar DeRozan before I decide. They just do not fit together.”

We also asked voters to pick a Heisman Trophy finalist. Last, we asked them to pick a winner of Sunday’s Bears-Lions game at Soldier Field. On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Are the Bulls a better team without Zach LaVine?

Upshot: LaVine’s support among the fan base never has been as solid as oak, but it seems pretty flimsy now. The old flaws just haven’t changed. “I still can’t believe they gave him a max contract,” wrote @Jmcdonnell1962, no doubt speaking for many.

Poll No. 2: The Heisman Trophy ceremony is Saturday Which finalist gets your vote?

Upshot: The actual Heisman vote tends to play out with more than a little regional bias, so it’s no surprise our voters went for the star from Big Ten country. Speaking of Harrison, know who’d look good in a Bears uniform? That’s right! How did you guess we were talking about him? Anyway, Daniels is going to win the award by a mile.

Poll No. 3: The last-place Bears host the first-place Lions on Sunday. Who wins?

Upshot: Sadly, the Bears just aren’t that good. “If the Bears have turnovers, Lions win,” @JBIRD1268 predicted. But what about the Lions? They have a nice record and all, but — come on — they’re still the Lions. “This time,” @JeffreyCanalia wrote, “Bears win in the last three minutes.”