Billy Donovan

[FriedRise]

The drop defense coverage by the bigs needs to be better. Yes, the guards (Coby in particular) are at fault for dying on screens so easily at point of attack, but it can still be mitigated if Gafford doesn't constantly just give a ton or room for the ballhandler to accelerate after a screen and score.

You sometimes see him backpedaling all the way to under the rim where the guards are then wide open to shoot a 5ft floater. Gotta meet them way earlier and provide resistance to slow them down. If they beat you, Gafford is athletic enough to catch up and challenge from behind. Or maybe trust the help defense from your teammates. Right now neither player is providing any resistance whatsoever on simple pick and rolls. Free cheese all day for the other team.

And Stacey has pointed it out plenty, but KYP. When you're guarding a big and he's draining 2-3 3s in a row on you, maybe move up a little bit to challenge him instead of continuing to drop so low? You have to adjust to what the offense is doing. When Thad checks in, he's also doing drop coverage but somehow he's able to cover his man way better especially at the 3pt line, so I don't think this is just on Billy's scheme. This is a player defensive IQ thing, and I dunno how much of it can be taught through film study. Gafford is younger, faster, and way more athletic than Thad, so there's no reason he can't replicate what Thad is doing out on defense.

[Stratmaster]

It would be far too easy to blame Billy Donovon for everything and to attribute everything negative to him. The truth is that even a Billy Donovan can't turn water into wine because this team, these players, are just bad and have a below-average basketball IQ.

The coaching staff tries everything possible to work on deficits, but that is not possible if you have to deal with so many below-average IQ players. With Jim Boylen we'd probably be 3-18 right now.

Yes, BD made a couple of wrong decisions, but that happens (and believe me, I see BDs coaching deficits).With just a liitle bit of luck....just a little bit...and couple other decisions we could have been 10-11 or 11-10 now.

Look at our roster:

Arcidiacono - not more than 3rd unit guy

WCJ - well, not more than 2nd unit guy

Dotson - not NBA qualified

Felicio - not NBA qualified

Gafford - not more than 2nd unit

Hutchinson - not more than 3rd unit

Kornet - not NBA qualified (looks like)

Lavine - starter but not a leader, for me not even a ALL STAR

Markkanen - some question marks but a starter

Mokoka - (if anything then only) 3rd unit guy

OPJ - just hurt

Satoransky - Can he do anything at all

Temple - good to have on the bench

Valentine - not even 2nd unit for me.

Coby - a good sixth man - can go crazy on the court and hit 5 threes in a row

PWill - I love him

Thad Young - a guy I would love to keep

What do we really expect?

Billy Donovan can't turn water into wine!

No one said he could. No one is blaming everything on Donovan. Let's not turn the thread into hot takes from both sides.

Let's also not pretend the Bulls would be 3-18 with Boylen or that they shouldn't have a better record than they do this season.

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[Stratmaster]

I am not a big believer in the value of this coach vs. that coach, but clearly adding Billy Donovan and subtracting Jim Boylen has brought benefits. The biggest one, I think, has been that his players do on offense what they like to do, and what they do best, rather than be slotted into the coach's peg. Kris Dunn taking 5 3 pointers in a game because he's a guard and that's what guards do was Boylen Ball. As was having Thad stand in the corner. I was worried in the pre-season when Wendell was firing 3s that BD was of the same mindset, but that was only a pre-season experiment. Once the regular season started what the players did made sense.

The other important item is that the players seem happy. I think they respect Billy, across the board. That wasn't true with either Boylen or Fred.

I do think that Billy could shake up the defense, do more blitzing, throw some different looks at opponents. I feel as if our standard defensive approach is too predictable. But I don't think that coaches, ultimately, earn their stripes on tactics. They do so by getting the right minutes to the right players, by having their teams play to their strengths, and by creating a culture of hard work and mutual respect.

I agree with most of that. However, Coby is not doing what he does best. He doesn't seem happy. The best player in the team doesn't seem happy. WCJ didn't seem happy before he went down. I don't mean happy with Billy necessarily. I mean happy with their role and the results.

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[Stratmaster]

The drop defense coverage by the bigs needs to be better. Yes, the guards (Coby in particular) are at fault for dying on screens so easily at point of attack, but it can still be mitigated if Gafford doesn't constantly just give a ton or room for the ballhandler to accelerate after a screen and score.

You sometimes see him backpedaling all the way to under the rim where the guards are then wide open to shoot a 5ft floater. Gotta meet them way earlier and provide resistance to slow them down. If they beat you, Gafford is athletic enough to catch up and challenge from behind. Or maybe trust the help defense from your teammates. Right now neither player is providing any resistance whatsoever on simple pick and rolls. Free cheese all day for the other team.

And Stacey has pointed it out plenty, but KYP. When you're guarding a big and he's draining 2-3 3s in a row on you, maybe move up a little bit to challenge him instead of continuing to drop so low? You have to adjust to what the offense is doing. When Thad checks in, he's also doing drop coverage but somehow he's able to cover his man way better especially at the 3pt line, so I don't think this is just on Billy's scheme. This is a player defensive IQ thing, and I dunno how much of it can be taught through film study. Gafford is younger, faster, and way more athletic than Thad, so there's no reason he can't replicate what Thad is doing out on defense.

This is a great point. It seems like Billy told the young bigs "you generally want to start playing the PnR from this spot" and they are taking it as gospel set in stone regardless of where the opposition starts the PnR from and with no regard for matchups or game flow.

It is on Billy to correct this over the course of a game and the course of the season. Let's see if he does.

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[ChettheJet]

It's only 20 games but I'm not worried about the coaching. There's no media with the team so it's hard to say how much of what's different can be attributed to the assistant coaches who rarely get mentioned. But It's been quite a while since the Bulls had a head coach who was completely up to the task of an NBA game. Boylen sure wasn't, Fred had very little NBA experience, Thibs ran players into the ground because he didn't trust rookies to play. Vinnie didn't have any experience but I don;t recall him really being in over his head during games.

[Stratmaster]

It's only 20 games but I'm not worried about the coaching. There's no media with the team so it's hard to say how much of what's different can be attributed to the assistant coaches who rarely get mentioned. But It's been quite a while since the Bulls had a head coach who was completely up to the task of an NBA game. Boylen sure wasn't, Fred had very little NBA experience, Thibs ran players into the ground because he didn't trust rookies to play. Vinnie didn't have any experience but I don;t recall him really being in over his head during games.

I am worried. I don't see where Billy has shown he is up to the task of an NBA game. There have been more head scratcher moments than moments when he has shown anything.

In bounds plays have been poor. Challenges non existent. Ref management poor. End of game performance abysmal.

I do like his treatment of players when they struggle. He doesn't have the reactionary quick hook but he also takes it into account wth rotations, particularly in the 2nd half. He does it in ways that don't throw players under the bus.

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[Ice Man]

I agree with most of that. However, Coby is not doing what he does best.

Coby is a tough call. I have been against starting him as PG from the moment it was announced. Like you, I don't believe in development by shark tank. On the other hand, Sato proved last year he's not a starting NBA point guard (and has been hurt and bad this year), and Arci clearly isn't. So there's something to the argument that Coby is the best available option.

Ultimately, it's more of a roster problem than a coaching problem.

[Ice Man]

I do like his treatment of players when they struggle. He doesn't have the reactionary quick hook but he also takes it into account wth rotations, particularly in the 2nd half. He does it in ways that don't throw players under the bus.

He's the adult in the room. Fred was too lenient, while Boylen went the opposite extreme, showing up his players with his Boylen tantrums. Billy acts like an actual, thoughtful boss.

[cool007]

The most important thing is that the best player seems to be listening to him. Zach seems bought in. The vets like Thad and Temple are also seemingly supporters.

IMO, the losses are more on injuries to Otto, Lauri and Carter than they are on Billy.

Spot on.

IMO, if we tighten up our pick and roll D and have key players healthy (every year same problem with same players getting hurt) then we could be a playoff team.

Unfortunately players like Otto, Wendell and Lauri are always hurt and usually at the worst time when we have any chance at playoffs and playing well, that's when they start missing games.

I am ready to move on from them - if it nets us playmaking defensive PG like Lonzo/Rubio/etc and a Center like (Steven Adams/Miles Turner).

[Stratmaster]

I agree with most of that. However, Coby is not doing what he does best.

Coby is a tough call. I have been against starting him as PG from the moment it was announced. Like you, I don't believe in development by shark tank. On the other hand, Sato proved last year he's not a starting NBA point guard (and has been hurt and bad this year), and Arci clearly isn't. So there's something to the argument that Coby is the best available option.

Ultimately, it's more of a roster problem than a coaching problem.

Yep I can see the roster issue argument and that it was worth a shot. But we have our answer. I'm not saying he shouldn't start though. Just that he should be playing off ball. ESPECIALLY if your goal is to not have Zach shoot for 5 minutes and get others involved you may as well put the ball in Zach's hands and let him facilitate. He does a better job of it with about the same number of turnovers and he draws all the attention.

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[MrSparkle]

This season's about 3 things:

- Improving player value and culture, opening up FA and trade options

- Developing/evaluating PW, Coby, WCJ, Gafford

- Figuring out what to do with Zach & Lauri (pay or dump)

I think BD is doing a great job with all 3, making Artunas' job more easy when it comes to the decision-hours (trade deadline, draft night, and free agency).

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty crystal clear on guys' floors and ceilings at this point. Coby, WCJ, Lauri, Gafford aren't going to be as good as hoped, but knowing what their limitations are helps decide what to do with them. Resign cheap, trade for a good offer, or let them go if extension price is high. Holding and further developing the non-expiring guys isn't the end-of-the-world either, cause each guy did show improvement.

Meanwhile, Zach is worth keeping on the max if no super-trade comes along.

[ThunderBolt]

It's only 20 games but I'm not worried about the coaching. There's no media with the team so it's hard to say how much of what's different can be attributed to the assistant coaches who rarely get mentioned. But It's been quite a while since the Bulls had a head coach who was completely up to the task of an NBA game. Boylen sure wasn't, Fred had very little NBA experience, Thibs ran players into the ground because he didn't trust rookies to play. Vinnie didn't have any experience but I don;t recall him really being in over his head during games.

I am worried. I don't see where Billy has shown he is up to the task of an NBA game. There have been more head scratcher moments than moments when he has shown anything.

In bounds plays have been poor. Challenges non existent. Ref management poor. End of game performance abysmal.

I do like his treatment of players when they struggle. He doesn't have the reactionary quick hook but he also takes it into account wth rotations, particularly in the 2nd half. He does it in ways that don't throw players under the bus.

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Your comments are similar to most thunder fans after his first year and a half. We always had poor inbounds plays after timeouts. Players seemed to like him well enough but it was hard to really discern how much of an impact he was having on the game.

[Jcool0]

Read on Twitter

[Stratmaster]

Read on Twitter

Phil Jacksonesque

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[Stratmaster]

Let Lavine touch the ball early.

Check.

Play Arch minutes at strategic times.

Check.

Stop trying to make Coby a facilitator and let him be the streak scorer he is.

Check.

Switch on the PnR occasionally.

Check.

Gotta give Billy an A for that game. I hope it wasn't just because injuries forced his hand and I don't know why it took so long but he made the adjustments.

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[Stratmaster]

It's only 20 games but I'm not worried about the coaching. There's no media with the team so it's hard to say how much of what's different can be attributed to the assistant coaches who rarely get mentioned. But It's been quite a while since the Bulls had a head coach who was completely up to the task of an NBA game. Boylen sure wasn't, Fred had very little NBA experience, Thibs ran players into the ground because he didn't trust rookies to play. Vinnie didn't have any experience but I don;t recall him really being in over his head during games.

I am worried. I don't see where Billy has shown he is up to the task of an NBA game. There have been more head scratcher moments than moments when he has shown anything.

In bounds plays have been poor. Challenges non existent. Ref management poor. End of game performance abysmal.

I do like his treatment of players when they struggle. He doesn't have the reactionary quick hook but he also takes it into account wth rotations, particularly in the 2nd half. He does it in ways that don't throw players under the bus.

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Your comments are similar to most thunder fans after his first year and a half. We always had poor inbounds plays after timeouts. Players seemed to like him well enough but it was hard to really discern how much of an impact he was having on the game.

Was he always so gentle with the refs? I mean they get paid too. They aren't volunteering their services

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[madvillian]

A masterclass last night, his hand was forced but man he has the end of bench guys playing well.

[Stratmaster]

A masterclass last night, his hand was forced but man he has the end of bench guys playing well.

I agree. He made all the adjustments last night.

I have to give the end of bench guys credit for their performance though. I don't think it has much to do with Billy. The fact that Arch came in and played the way he did after riding the bench for 2 weeks is pretty impressive. Same with Felicio.

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[ThunderBolt]

I am worried. I don't see where Billy has shown he is up to the task of an NBA game. There have been more head scratcher moments than moments when he has shown anything.

In bounds plays have been poor. Challenges non existent. Ref management poor. End of game performance abysmal.

I do like his treatment of players when they struggle. He doesn't have the reactionary quick hook but he also takes it into account wth rotations, particularly in the 2nd half. He does it in ways that don't throw players under the bus.

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Your comments are similar to most thunder fans after his first year and a half. We always had poor inbounds plays after timeouts. Players seemed to like him well enough but it was hard to really discern how much of an impact he was having on the game.

Was he always so gentle with the refs? I mean they get paid too. They aren't volunteering their services

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He would occasionally get a technical and it was usually when he was defending a no call on one of the star guys. I believe he didn't get his first technical with OKC until late January of his first year. His technical usually seemed more calculated than actual frustration.

[RagingBull316]

He hasn't seemed to figure out how and when to challenge calls.

Hell, just challenge for a timeout at the end of games if nothing else.
It's weird - the Bulls can be on the bad end of a very suspect or damaging call and he just accepts it, doesn't even bark at the refs. Considering the Bulls have lost games by 2-5 points several times, those challenges can be the difference between W's and L's.

Unless he's stealth tanking and aiming for the 13th seed, then he's actually great.

This is the biggest problem I have with him so far, I would love to see him take more advantage of the challenge's like other teams in the league do. If you have to use a challenge to keep one of our starters from picking up a quick early foul on a bad call, use it there. That is just as important and meaningful to a game as it is in the last few seconds, if it keeps one of your best players in the game.