The All-Star break couldn’t be coming at a better time for the Bulls. It’s been a shaky start to February amid poor play and the uncertainty surrounding the trade deadline.
Coach Billy Donovan said pregame he likes to give his assistant coaches projects during the break because the Bulls are always trying to evaluate how they play identity-wise and what lineup combinations they can work with.
“We’ll come back and meet as a group within plenty of time before we see the team to talk about some of those things,” Donovan said. “There may be some things that we put in offensively and defensively that we feel that maybe could help some of the things maybe we struggled with.”
But Donovan doesn’t like influencing his assistants. He believes in diversity of thought and wants each coach to have their own opinion.
White’s hot streak
Coby White struggled below his career norms during December. The fifth-year guard averaged 17.3 points but shot 39.4% from the field and 29.3% from three. White couldn’t catch a rhythm and the Bulls needed him to go on a scoring spree.
White’s a streaky shooter, but his December struggles were more pronounced than any stretch he had last season. From November to March, 34.9% was the lowest White shot from three. But White has been a heater since February, scoring at least 20 points in four of five games before Wednesday’s contest.
With Zach LaVine off to Sacramento after being traded in a three-team deal that sent Kevin Heurter, Zach Collins, Tre Jones and the Bulls’ 2025 first-round pick to the Bulls, shots opened up, and someone had to take them. The responsibility fell to White because of his strong fourth season and because his ability to attack defenses off the dribble is an element that many players on this Bulls team don’t possess.
Donovan’s Providence return
On Saturday, Donovan is having his jersey retired at Providence. He played at Providence from 1983-87 and played under legendary coach Rick Pitino. He was a part of Providence’s 1987 Final Four team.
But beyond the accolades and numbers he racked up in a Friar uniform, Donovan reflected on how attending Providence shaped him.
“It’s funny because a lot of times you think you have so much control over things, and then all of a sudden, you realize there were things that happened by chance that you had nothing to do with,” Donovan said. “I think about the guys I got a chance to play with and the relationships that were established after that. And then I think about the coaching staff. You know that playing for coach Pitino, Jeff Van Gundy, Stu Jackson, Gordon Chiesa and Herb Sendek. The list goes on of the people, but at that time, when you’re 18,19, 20 years old — they’re starting off in their career too.”
Injury update
Lonzo Ball missed his fourth straight game on Wednesday. Entering Wednesday’s game, Ball had the highest on-off differential on the Bulls among rotation players (plus-12.4)
Donovan said he had no ramp-up and hadn’t been on the floor. He said that Ball is feeling better but isn’t quite ready to play. He said the expectation is for Ball to return for the first practice after the break.