If Kings' Zach LaVine is going to talk big, he also needs to play big

After scoring 42 points against the Miami Heat, Zach LaVine had a lot to say about the Sacramento Kings getting him the ball. Unfortunately, his next performance against the Indiana Pacers didn't measure up. LaVine talking the talk but not walking the walk is becoming his calling card these days.

Zach LaVine is a shooter's shooter. He's one of those players that your favorite shooter loves to watch play. Why? Because when he's on a heater, the man is borderline unstoppable. LaVine was on one heck of a heater against Miami, dropping 42 points on 12 of 24 from the field.

While that was an impressive display, LaVine's performance against the Pacers wasn't. He ended up with 16 points on six of 13 from the field. His three-point shooting also declined from game to game. Against the Heat, he shot eight of 13 but only two of six against the Pacers.

Keeping in mind that his minutes were almost identical, turnovers were not. LaVine committed zero turnovers in the Miami game, which is incredible. Then, he showed up for the Indiana game and ended up with five turnovers. It's hard to score when you're handing the ball to the other team.

LaVine needs to tighten up his game

After his big night against the Heat, Zach was feeling pretty gosh darn good about himself, which was more than fair. He had a lot to say after the game, specifically how he could do that every night if the Kings got him the ball more.

It's perfectly fine to be confident. In fact, it's incredibly necessary for NBA players to believe in themselves. At the same time, if you're going to talk like that, you had better deliver on it. And that has been chasing LaVine all season long because getting the ball doesn't always lead to big points.

This is reminiscent of the brief era of prime Ja Morant on the Grizzlies when he infamously said he was fine in the West in an interview. He displayed an almost absurd level of overconfidence which went nowhere for him or the Grizzlies. He was, in fact, not at all fine in the West.

LaVine has to deliver, and he has to deliver consistently. When he doesn't, he needs to take responsibility for that and not imply the problem is with his utilization. Zach has the ability to change the game, but he can't wait for it to come to him. Great players thrive in adversity.