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Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:16 pm
by Jcool0
Not surprising

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Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:17 pm
by cocktailswith_2short
It's a sweet gig there is zero pressure to win .

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:22 pm
by Evil_Headband
I give ownership/management credit for not making the coach the scapegoat. That happens all too often in professional sports.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:31 pm
by League Circles
Donovan isn't great, and is flawed, but he's pretty good and has a very high floor as a coach IMO. It was probably a 2 year extension on top of the year he had left, which I think makes sense.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:32 pm
by drosestruts
there's been several issues with the team in recent years - I don't believe coaching to be one of them.

Upgrading your coach isn't as easy as people make it out to be - look at the Knicks.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:35 pm
by ThisGuyFawkes
We got him!!! 82-0!!

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:41 pm
by MrFortune3
For all of the complaints, Donovan is not the primary issue. They have no real identity. They threw 3 star players together and it only meshed with a fully healthy Lonzo.

We have to develop our young guys and build a identity on offense and defense. Coby, Matas, Noa all have to gel and excel.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:48 pm
by sco
Billy is probably a 2nd quartile coach. I'm fine. When our roster becomes a first quarter roster, I might think differently.

My biggest beef with Billy is that he seems hellbent on starting Vuc.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:58 pm
by Stratmaster
5 seasons. 4 of them, including the last 3, with a losing record. Overall, 10 games under .500 despite the team being 10 games over .500 4 seasons ago. OKC got rid of him after 5 seasons with a .608 record over a 5 year stretch and 5 straight playoff appearances...with 4 straight first round exits.

Lets give him his 2nd extension.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 3:59 pm
by Red8911
This is probably the first time in professional sports where a guy gets continuously rewarded for failing.

The coach is usually the first to go with losing. Not here, the whole roster changed but him.Apparently AK/Reinsdorfs still love him for some reason.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:16 pm
by MisterRoy
Continuity baby!

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:39 pm
by Stratmaster
Red8911 wrote:This is probably the first time in professional sports where a guy gets continuously rewarded for failing.

The coach is usually the first to go with losing. Not here, the whole roster changed but him.Apparently AK/Reinsdorfs still love him for some reason.


This 100%. People can make all the excuses they want for Donovan. But he, and the Bulls, have accomplished nothing in his 5 year stint here and have actually gotten worse. From what I have seen this is pretty much unprecedented in pro sports. It shows that AKME really have absolutely no clue what they are doing. If I were the owner I would have fired all 3 of them for even considering an extension at this point.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:46 pm
by pipfan
He's fine-seems like he's good with young players. Hopefully a better coach becomes our top priority soon

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:52 pm
by jnrjr79
sco wrote:Billy is probably a 2nd quartile coach. I'm fine. When our roster becomes a first quarter roster, I might think differently.

My biggest beef with Billy is that he seems hellbent on starting Vuc.


IMO Billy probably correctly assumes Vooch will become a problem if he’s asked to come off the bench.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:18 pm
by Jcool0
Will Billy end up with the worst record ever for a coach 10+ years with one team?

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:36 pm
by Hangtime84
drosestruts wrote:there's been several issues with the team in recent years - I don't believe coaching to be one of them.

Upgrading your coach isn't as easy as people make it out to be - look at the Knicks.


That’s where I am with too

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:38 pm
by meekrab
This was a given when they refused to let the Knicks talk to him.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:40 pm
by CROBulls
Yay! We got him!

Image

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:42 pm
by League Circles
Stratmaster wrote:5 seasons. 4 of them, including the last 3, with a losing record. Overall, 10 games under .500 despite the team being 10 games over .500 4 seasons ago. OKC got rid of him after 5 seasons with a .608 record over a 5 year stretch and 5 straight playoff appearances...with 4 straight first round exits.

Lets give him his 2nd extension.

Or we could have a totally unproven coach next summer when we're trying to attract free agents with huge cap space. We agree that Billy isn't a good tactician for a coach, but he's definitely liked by players and is a hall.of famer. A pretty good factor in free agent appeal IMO. Not sure OKC "got rid of him". Can't remember the details but I think he wanted to move on and were willing to pay him well.

Re: Billy Donovan gets contract extension

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:44 pm
by League Circles
pipfan wrote:He's fine-seems like he's good with young players. Hopefully a better coach becomes our top priority soon


If this becomes an issue, I'd like to see Collins getting DNPs, Smith starting but only playing about 22 mpg, and Vuc bumslaying as the 1st or 2nd scoring option with the bench group. I think everyone might be happy enough with that.