According to Bulls coach Billy Donovan, there has been no consequences mentioned if the roster should fall short. Maybe that changes after the season comes to an end, but maybe it never happens. Time will tell.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
It’s a discussion that needs to happen.
Maybe not this weekend when Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks are in town or even during this final regular-season six-game stretch for the Bulls, but at some point there has to be a line of accountability drawn in the sand. The front office getting together with the coaching staff and making it known that how this season finishes – getting out of the play-in games or not – will have consequences on how the offseason plays out.
According to coach Billy Donovan, there hasn’t been that talk yet. And considering how executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have built this roster, who knows if it’s even on the agenda.
Hopefully that changes.
“I have not had any discussions (about that), but I will mention this: I think our guys have done a really good job with what’s been thrown at them in terms of things that we’ve had to overcome,” Donovan said, when asked about results having roster consequences. “And I believe in my heart that there’s enough in the locker room to find ways to get wins and the results. The part of expectations of competing, you’re supposed to do that, it’s all of our jobs, right? But I think we can get results.
“But the reality is there’s $70 million that’s not playing. That’s just a reality.”
That “$70 million” Donovan mentioned included Zach LaVine (foot surgery), Patrick Williams (foot surgery) and Lonzo Ball (knee surgery).
There’s no doubt that missing those three has put added pressure on the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu to not only put in heavy minutes, but it’s also tested the depth of the roster that Karnisovas built.
What’s concerning is that Karnisovas has been very focused on “competitiveness” as how he wanted this season judged and made that very clear the last time he publicly spoke to the media after the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
He was asked if ownership was happy with the job he’s done, and responded, “I think so. Since I came here to Chicago, I wanted to have a competitive team. We came up with a formula in 2021. We’ve had somewhat of a success. Obviously took a step back with some injuries. Any adjustments in the future we have to make, I’m very positive about that as well.”
Fine, but will they, and can they?
Two very different questions.
The can they will come down to the trade market and finally finding a trade partner for LaVine – the top priority of the offseason. The will they is a bit more cloudy.
If the Bulls get out of the play-in and into the postseason, expect a bring-it-all back mentality, including a contract extension for DeRozan. If they fall short in the play-in, however, that’s where it will get interesting.
Donovan is 100% safe, so expect the coaching staff to go untouched. Could it change the pursuit of DeRozan? Unlikely, since they opted not to trade him in February.
If LaVine can’t be moved, which is a real possibility, expect a few changes with the depth and that’s about it. At least that’s how Donovan made it sound.
“Have we always played great? No. But they’ve always come back and tried to respond and get better,” the coach said. “(The injuries are) a big hit when you look at it financially. Again, it’s no excuse. I do think the front office will at least look at the totality of the year and what happened, where we’re at in terms of how you shore up things where maybe there’s a little more depth.”