Billy Donovan

Bulls Notes: Self-Induced Errors, Drummond, Dosunmu, More

April 11th, 2024 at 10:58pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bulls lost to the Knicks on Tuesday in disappointing fashion, making a series of self-induced errors, including Torrey Craig attempting to throw an alley-oop to himself before getting knocked down by teammate Andre Drummond, who thought the pass off the backboard was intended for him. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry sees that play as a microcosm of Chicago’s season: style over substance.

“To me, it was just really disappointing,” coach Billy Donovan said. “You’re down by (nine points). There were a lot of self-induced things that I thought we contributed to. Not only that play but other plays that weren’t as loud as that. But that play was disappointing to me.”

The Bulls are locked into the play-in tournament but clinched home-court advantage in the No. 9 vs. 10 game against the Hawks by defeating the Pistons on Thursday.

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Drummond left Tuesday’s game with a badly turned left ankle. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Drummond had to be taken to the training room in a wheelchair and Donovan said his ankle was very swollen. On Thursday, Donovan said Drummond is using a motorized scooter because of weight-bearing issues regarding the swelling in his ankle, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets.
Ayo Dosunmu missed Tuesday’s game with an injured quad, Cowley adds in the same piece. “I don’t know how long it will or will not be because I think he felt OK after the game [Sunday] in Orlando,” Donovan said. “I think after he felt a little better, it just hasn’t progressed.” According to Johnson, Dosunmu’s deep thigh contusion is giving him issues with being able to contract his quad muscle.
In case you missed it, Kentucky is reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Mark Pope of BYU as their next head coach. But if there were any doubts, Donovan reaffirmed his commitment to the Bulls on Tuesday and shot down any rumors of him potentially leaving for the college ranks, ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes.
With the Bulls headed for the play-in and potentially out of the playoffs in the coming weeks, Cowley opines that general manager Arturas Karnisovas and the Bulls should change their philosophy when it comes to this roster. Cowley believes this version of the team has reached its peak and the front office should consider trading some of its star players and entering a rebuild.

Stein’s Latest: Bickerstaff, Mitchell, Kidd, Stone, Donovan

April 11th, 2024 at 8:51pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Pressure is mounting on the Cavaliers, who have stumbled to an 11-16 record after the All-Star break after once sitting at 36-17, NBA insider Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post. While an 18-2 record spanning through December and January improved coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s standing within the organization, he may be on the hot seat following this disappointing stretch of games.

As Stein writes, Bickerstaff is still dealing with the fallout from losing to the Knicks in the first round of last year’s playoffs in just five games. Frustration is growing in Cleveland after last season’s playoffs and this season’s lackluster recent stretch, according to Stein.

The Cavaliers as a whole are feeling pressure, given the need to sign Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension this offseason. Mitchell is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract next year if there’s no extension and there’s a “growing belief” from rival teams that the Cavs might be forced to trade their superstar if the two sides can’t agree to an extension, Stein writes.

The Cavaliers paid a hefty price to bring in Mitchell in 2022, sending out Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton and multiple first-round picks for the All-Star guard.

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The Mavericks are 16-2 since they inserted Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. into the starting lineup, and have officially secured their second 50-win season since Jason Kidd took over as head coach in 2021. An offseason extension for Kidd seems likely, according to Stein.
Likewise, the Rockets‘ strong play in the second half of their season means general manager Rafael Stone may also earn a contract extension, Stein writes. The Rockets are hovering around the .500 mark after winning just 22 games last season. The Ime Udoka hiring and the additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are among the reasons for Houston’s impressive season, which were all accomplished without sacrificing any of its core pieces. Still, future decisions regarding whether the team will continue to build around Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green or trade for a higher-profile star are percolating, per Stein.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan‘s name was thrown around in regard to the newly opened Kentucky coaching job, but Stein expressed skepticism about the chances of him moving back down to the college ranks, where he most notably coached at Florida from 1996-2015. It looks like Stein’s skepticism was warranted, as Kentucky is reportedly targeting BYU’s Mark Pope to be its next head coach, meaning Donovan will stay with the Bulls, tweets NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.

Central Notes: Donovan, DeRozan, Bucks, Allen

April 9th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

John Calipari‘s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas spawned rumors that the Wildcats will make a run at Bulls head coach Billy Donovan. However, it would be a complicated process if he had any interest in returning to the college ranks, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes.

Donovan is under contract for two more years with the Bulls, and he’s held in high regard by not only management but ownership, says Johnson. Donovan, who won back-to-back championships at Florida, has often talked about how much he enjoys coaching in the NBA.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times also casts doubt on the idea of Donovan taking the Kentucky job. A source told him on Tuesday that there has been no communication between the school and the Bulls’ head coach.

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The Bulls are locked into the 9-10 play-in tournament matchup with the Hawks but DeMar DeRozan believes his team needs to finish strong, Cowley writes. “Yeah, but we’re coming to a point where we can’t play those (down) games, and we’ve got to have that mentality,” DeRozan said. “We can’t switch it on. It’s do or die.” The Bulls play at home against the Knicks tonight, then finish up with a road trip to Detroit, Washington and New York.
Despite their addition of Damian Lillard prior to the season, the Bucks have consistently looked like a team that’s not having any fun, Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel opines. Now they’re stumbling toward the regular season finish line, with the stress of the postseason looming. “Adversity builds character; we have to embrace it,” forward Jae Crowder said. “We can’t shy away from the fact that we just lost six of the last seven. It’s tough days, but at the same time, this is how you build team character. If we come out of this thing on the other side, we’ll be a better group going into the playoffs.”
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen believes more All-Star honors will come to him down the road after he didn’t make the team this season, he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com. “The guys that got in definitely deserve it,” he said. “Don’t get that wrong. My time will come.”

Central Notes: Bucks, Middleton, Cavaliers, Donovan, Pistons

April 8th, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks coach Doc Rivers responded to the team’s late-season swoon by holding a film session on Saturday, according to Eric Nehm and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The meeting involved the team’s nine veteran rotation players — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Malik Beasley, Bobby Portis, Patrick Beverley, Pat Connaughton and Jae Crowder — and each of them was given the opportunity to share his perspective on the team’s recent slide and offer suggestions on how to address it.

“It’s only the start of these tough and necessary conversations,” a source told Nehm and Charania.

While the session may have cleared the air, it didn’t help Milwaukee end its slump as the Bucks fell to New York on Sunday while getting outscored 72-48 in the second half. Although they remain in second place in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks are now just one game ahead of the Magic and Knicks and a game-and-half up on the Cavaliers, as home court advantage in the first round is no longer a guarantee.

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Middleton’s bad luck with injuries continued Sunday as he had to leave the game after being accidentally struck in the face by Donte DiVincenzo, Nehm and Charania add. Rivers said Middleton had to make an emergency trip to the dentist, which is why he didn’t return to the game. “You just feel bad for him. The guy can’t catch a break,” the Bucks‘ head coach said. “I mean, what are the odds you go into a game, ‘OK, tonight, it will be my tooth gets knocked out.’ He’s having one of those seasons right now, but that’s OK because it can all turn for him. I thought he came with great spirit tonight, too, so just tough luck.”
The Cavaliers had a disastrous end to their five-game Western swing as they let a 26-point lead slip away in Sunday’s loss to the Clippers, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland went 1-4 on the trip and returns home in fifth place in the East. “Just a very disappointing loss,” said Isaac Okoro, who was able to return after missing four games with pain in his big toe. “Think we all know right now we need wins. Wanted this one bad.”
Head coach Billy Donovan admits that the Bulls aren’t having the type of season he expected, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago is just a game ahead of Atlanta for ninth place in the battle to host next week’s play-in game between the two teams. “I certainly didn’t come here [when I was hired in 2020] to say, ‘Hey, listen, let’s be a play-in team,’” Donovan said. “When I sat down first with [executive vice president of basketball operations] Arturas [Karnisovas] and [general manager] Marc [Eversley] about this, it was to try and build something. I still feel like we’re building something, but I don’t think anyone is happy with where we’re at.’’
James L. Edwards of The Athletic ranks the Pistons‘ best assets heading into the offseason. Not surprisingly, Cade Cunningham tops the list, with this year’s first-round pick coming in second, followed by Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey.

Central Notes: Giannis, Gallinari, Pistons, Haliburton

February 21st, 2024 at 5:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said former coach Adrian Griffin was “figuring things out” before the team fired him last month, but he’s enjoying the security of having Doc Rivers in charge, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo felt like he had to become a more vocal locker room leader earlier in the season with a first-time head coach running the team. That responsibility has eased, and Antetokounmpo expressed full confidence in Rivers’ ability to get the team ready for the postseason.

“We have to keep on evolving. We don’t have to change our identity,” he said. “Of course, we gotta be stronger. We gotta be tougher. I have to play better. I have to see the game better. But we have to keep on evolving. We have to add coach Doc’s philosophy with what has been working and hopefully can create a great mix for the next 25 games that we have and compete in the playoffs.”

Another major difference for Milwaukee will be the presence of Damian Lillard, a supreme scorer with the ability to take over playoff games. Antetokounmpo and Lillard had discussions about the direction of the season while they were in Indianapolis for All-Star Weekend, Nehm adds.

“I am his biggest fan,” Antetokounmpo said. “Good or bad, I ride with Dame until the f—ing end. I ride with Dame. Like I’ve been saying this over and over again. This. Is. His. Team. Down the stretch, he’s going to get the ball. There’s nothing else that we will do. I don’t know how else to put it. I don’t know what else to say. But at the end of the day, he has to believe it too.”

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Coach Billy Donovan talked to Danilo Gallinari about joining the Bulls before he opted to sign with Milwaukee, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Donovan, who coached Gallinari during the 2019/20 season in Oklahoma City, said the veteran forward was looking for a situation with a greater opportunity for playing time.
Pistons coach Monty Williams said winning as many games as possible will be the priority for the rest of the season, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “I’m not going to be throwing certain combinations on the floor just to see how they look,” Williams said. “We’re done with that … we’ll be competing.”
Tyrese Haliburton had been listed as questionable with a hamstring issue for every game since January 30, but he’s not on the Pacers‘ injury report for Thursday’s contest with Detroit, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Aaron Nesmith will miss the game with a sprained right ankle, while Jalen Smith is questionable due to back spasms.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Drummond, Donovan, Caruso, Jackson

January 28th, 2024 at 5:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bulls are exploring potential trade packages with the Pistons for shooting guard Zach LaVine, confirms K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Sources inform Johnson that, as has been previously reported, Detroit is hoping to hold on to what the team sees as its four core players in a theoretical deal: point guard Cade Cunningham, shooting guard Jaden Ivey, rookie forward Ausar Thompson, and center Jalen Duren.

Assuming the Pistons remain firm on this point, veteran power forward Bojan Bogdanovic and future draft equity are expected to be priorities from the Chicago side. while some configuration of veteran players like Isaiah Stewart, Joe Harris, Monte Morris, and Mike Muscala could also be involved. Johnson notes that, even if a deal doesn’t get done by the NBA’s February 8 trade deadline, it appears likely LaVine will eventually be moved while on his current contract.

Johnson adds that reserve center Andre Drummond has drawn interest from several clubs as the NBA’s deadline nears.

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Bulls head coach Billy Donovan‘s job is currently safe in Chicago, but he’s aware his status could become tenuous, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. “You always have to be grateful each and every day to [coach],” Donovan said. “I drive home and get off the interstate, and there’s people standing out there on the street asking for money or people sleeping in front of police precincts. It’s so easy not to be grateful for the things you have and the opportunity you have, and I always try and keep that in perspective. I get a chance every day to do something I love. I try and view it that way.”
All-Defensive Bulls wing Alex Caruso is making an effort to not sacrifice his body quite as much as he has in the past, Cowley writes in a separate piece. ‘‘I’ve intentionally missed a couple of charges this year and moved out of the way because I’m realizing that I’ve got to take care of my body, and you’ve got to be a little bit selfish at times to do that,’’ Caruso said. “At the end of the day, it comes down to the NBA is all about efficiency… That’s what I’ve learned, and I’m kind of finding that middle gear to where I don’t need to play as hard as I can every single minute.”
Six-time championship-winning former Bulls head coach Phil Jackson recently visited the team for a player meeting and an extensive 90-minute chat with Donovan and his staff, Cowley adds. ‘‘It should inspire you,’’ guard Coby White said of meeting Jackson. ‘‘If you love the game of basketball, it should inspire you. He’s a legend, a Hall of Fame coach, if not the best coach of all time. So for us, it should motivate us as a unit and a team to grow. And he gave us some insight on our team.”

Bulls Notes: LaVine, DeRozan, Donovan, Karnisovas

November 29th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls‘ final chance to make a statement in the in-season tournament ended with a 27-point loss at Boston and that wasn’t the extent of the bad news, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Zach LaVine left the game midway through the third quarter with foot soreness, a condition that caused him to miss last Wednesday’s contest at Oklahoma City. DeMar DeRozan also got pulled from the game in the third quarter after getting knocked down on a foul and experiencing pain in his left ankle.

It has been a frustrating season for Chicago, which went 0-4 in the tournament and has now dropped eight of its last nine games. With trade rumors swirling around several players, LaVine said it’s important to focus on each game rather than the bigger picture.

“You go out there and play, man,” said LaVine, who added that he’s “day to day” with the soreness. “You got a lot of season left. You don’t play the scoreboard. You look at the standings, obviously. But you try to win every game you step into and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

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Coach Billy Donovan tried a lineup change on Tuesday, starting Patrick Williams and moving Alex Caruso to the bench to stabilize the second unit, notes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Donovan continues to search for a spark that will snap the team out of its early-season funk. ‘‘Yeah, I take ownership in this, too, in terms of what I’ve got to do,” he told reporters. “I’m not obviously making the decisions that maybe (president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas) is making or Jerry and Michael (Reinsdorf) are making, and I’m not making decisions on the court that the players are making. But what do I have control over? What’s my responsibility? Where can I get better and how can I improve to help? I’m a big believer in you are what your record says you are. I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Well, we had a couple of tough losses, and we could be .500.’ No, this is what we are, and how can we get better?’’
Blame for the Bulls’ failure should be directed at Karnisovas, who assembled a roster that ranks 26th in offense and 22nd in defense, states Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry argues that Karnisovas should have broken up the core of the team at the February trade deadline and could have done more in free agency than just signing Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter.
This season will be defined more by what Karnisovas can do on the trade market rather than wins and losses, Johnson states in a separate story. League sources tell Johnson that the organization is focused on finding an acceptable trade for LaVine, and Karnisovas is telling teams calling about other players that he wants to see what his roster looks like after a LaVine deal before beginning any of those discussions.

Karnisovas, Donovan Appear To Be Safe In Chicago

November 27th, 2023 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Despite the Bulls‘ miserable start, president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and head coach Billy Donovan don’t seem to be in danger of getting fired, meaning any changes to turn the season around will have to focus on the roster, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Karnisovas “has been given the green light to try to fix the current mess,” according to Johnson, who notes that ownership is typically slow to make changes to its front office. Karnisovas received an extension in the spring, which indicates the organization still has confidence in him.

Donovan is “liked and respected by both ownership and management,” Johnson adds, plus he still has multiple years remaining on his contract extension. Johnson points out that the Reinsdorfs don’t like to pay fired coaches, so Donovan isn’t likely to be dismissed, although changes may be made to his coaching staff.

Chicago dropped to 5-13 with Sunday’s loss at Brooklyn, which marked its fourth straight defeat and the seventh in its last eight games. The players understand that they’re underperforming, according to Johnson, and they know that a quick turnaround is the only way to prevent a roster shakeup.

“Rumors come with the territory,” Nikola Vucevic said. “If you’re playing well, everything is great. Everybody is talking positive about you. If you’re losing, you get criticized and rumors start. We have to deal with that. The only way to deal with it is for us to play better. That’s the only way for that to stop.”

Johnson suggests the Bulls’ core problem may be a flawed roster built around Vucevic, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. He points out that those three players have been on the court together for 370 minutes so far this season and they have a net rating of minus-13.9.

Reports earlier this month indicated that LaVine and the organization are both open to finding a deal to send him elsewhere. However, the team has placed a high asking price on the 28-year-old guard and his pricey salary and injury history are limiting interest around the league.

DeRozan, who has an expiring $28.6MM contract and reportedly hasn’t made much progress in extension talks, is also considered to be a trade candidate, along with Alex Caruso, a defensive standout with a team-friendly deal. Most of the free agents who signed contracts this summer will become eligible to be traded on December 15, so that’s when the Bulls might become active if their record hasn’t improved.

The team’s stars are hoping that won’t happen, Johnson adds, but they know the only way to keep the current roster together is to start winning.

“We all get along,” LaVine said. “Nobody wants to be 5-13 or lose multiple games in a row. It doesn’t feel good. It didn’t feel like we’d be at this point now. But that’s our reality. So we have to figure out how to get out of that hole. Try to get a win. That’s all we try to worry about.”

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Donovan, Drummond, Karnisovas

November 21st, 2023 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

After reports over the weekend indicated that the Bulls weren’t thrilled by Zach LaVine blowing off a post-game media interview on Saturday, head coach Billy Donovan addressed the issue on Monday, telling reporters that it has been handled internally, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. According to Johnson, LaVine apologized to and spoke at length to the PR employee he ignored after Saturday’s win.

“Me being here for the time that I’ve been here, I really think we have good quality people,” Donovan said. “That goes from players to medical to PR people. They’re really great people to work with. My thing is I want everybody to treat everybody with class and respect and help each other do their job. We all have jobs to do. And they’re difficult and demanding and there are emotions in that. My wish would be that everybody helps each other in doing their job to the best of their ability.”

As Johnson writes, LaVine has been accommodating to the media and represented the franchise professionally during his six-plus years in Chicago, so Saturday’s incident was an anomaly and drew greater scrutiny because the guard has been the subject of trade rumors as of late. However, Donovan said he likes what he’s seen from LaVine on the court recently and hasn’t noticed any changes in the 28-year-old’s demeanor behind the scenes.

“I did not see anything different from him in that locker room when I walked in (on Saturday),” Donovan said. “I didn’t get a guy who wasn’t in the locker room or in a different room or upset or pouting or turned around. I talked to him after the game. He talked to players after the game. I saw a normal Zach in there.”

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For a second straight season, Andre Drummond is playing a limited role off the bench in Chicago. The two-time All-Star is averaging just 13.8 minutes per night, but has been productive in those minutes, putting up 6.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per night. As Johnson writes for NBC Sports Chicago, Drummond still believes he’s a starting-caliber center, but he has no complaints about coming off the bench for the Bulls. “I got a lot left in the tank, man. Still very healthy. Still very young,” he said on Monday. “I still have a lot left to give. I know my role for this team and what I have to give. So I try to do it to the best of my ability.”
Coming into this season, the Bulls had vowed to play faster, but that plan hasn’t panned out, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN.com. The club currently ranks 29th in the NBA in pace and 27th in offensive rating, and Donovan has acknowledged that Chicago isn’t going to be a “racehorse” team. “That’s fine, you can still be effective and productive,” Donovan said. “You have to play to your personnel and what you have.”
President of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas bears the brunt of the responsibility for the Bulls’ struggles this season, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who writes that the front office’s bet on continuity looks like a failed one, with little reason to believe things will turn around anytime soon. The only question is how much longer Karnisovas will give the current group, says Mayberry.
In case you missed it, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams are said to be the Bulls players generating the most intrigue among potential trade partners, as we relayed on Monday.

Bulls Front Office Reportedly “Less Than Thrilled” With LaVine

November 19th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bulls secured a come-from-behind, 21-point comeback win against the Heat on Saturday, but the victory wasn’t without drama, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley.

Star guard Zach LaVine “all but stormed off” the court and cameras caught him pulling his arm away from the team’s public relations director during an attempt to get him to fulfill his post-game media obligations, Cowley writes.

“Just a miscommunication with the PR team,” LaVine said. “We’re all fine.”

According to Cowley’s sources, Chicago’s front office was immediately made aware of the situation and are “less than thrilled” with LaVine’s actions. Further, Cowley adds that when coach Billy Donovan found out about the incident, he was “downright ticked.”

All of this comes off the heels of reporting over the past week indicating LaVine and the Bulls are both open to exploring a potential change of scenery.

LaVine is one of the league’s premier scorers, averaging 24.4 points and shooting 38.4% from deep since arriving in Chicago. Despite his individual success, the Bulls have just one playoff appearance in the six full seasons he’s been there and at 5-9 this year, look to be fast-tracking toward missing the playoffs or an early exit.

Of course, the Bulls’ issues don’t start and end with LaVine. To his credit, he emerged into a two-time All-Star there and Chicago has dealt with numerous issues during his time with the team. The biggest what-if facing this current grouping is the long-term absence of Lonzo Ball, who hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022 and isn’t expected back anytime soon. When Ball was healthy, the Bulls were 26-10 at one point and sat atop the Eastern Conference standings with this very core.

Additionally, the post-game issues could have truly been a misunderstanding. Still, Cowley reporting anger from Chicago management and coaching is significant and adds another chapter to the perception of disconnect between the parties.

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