Billy Donovan begins rotational search when Bulls face Bucks
Billy Donovan begins rotational search when Bulls face Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
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Don’t read too much into whomever coach Billy Donovan starts on Sunday in Milwaukee when the Bulls face the Bucks in both teams’ preseason opener.
Not only has Donovan said he plans to tinker with his rotation throughout training camp, but he also has made clear whomever starts in the Oct. 25 regular-season opener against Oklahoma City won’t be set in stone.
But at least in some live scrimmages during the first week of training camp in Nashville, Tenn., Donovan kept the pairing of Coby White and Patrick Williams together but moved it from last season’s reserve role to start it alongside Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.
The lineup makes sense. It played well in a small sample size last season and allows the Bulls to feature its veteran core alongside the young talent it needs to develop.
White has made clear he’s on board for anything.
“Like I said since I've been here, I'm just here to play basketball and do what I can to help my team win---whatever role that is,” White said. “I've been in so many different roles since I've been here. I've made everything work.”
But it’s clear White has worked hard again over the course of another offseason on his ballhandling and decision-making.
“When I got to the league, and before that, I was known as a scorer. That's who I was. I was the leading scorer in North Carolina basketball history in high school,” White said. “So for me, to see how I've altered my game to be more of a point guard, more of a lead guard, more of a vocal guy, it's been great for me.
“I want to continue to fine tune those things and get better---setting my teammates up, getting into the paint, kicking out, breaking down the defense and being that leader."
The Bulls prioritized re-signing White, verbally agreeing to his new contract on the opening night of free agency. Management and Donovan point to White as a player development success story.
Donovan also has been wrestling with whether or not to use a nine- or 10-man rotation during the regular season. He has favored the former, allowing him to “stagger” a starter---usually DeRozan---and bring him back to play with the second unit.
But the second unit of Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter, Alex Caruso, Torrey Craig and Andre Drummond has wreaked havoc defensively at times.
“If we have me and Ayo and Drum on that second unit and we add those two pieces (Carter and Craig), it’s going to be hard to get a good shot off against that second unit if we’re locked in,” Caruso said. “Once we do, we have multiple ballhandlers and can break out and run a little bit.
“I’m excited. (Carter and Craig) fit really well for the mentality that me and Ayo and Drum have played with the last couple years.”
Time will tell where Donovan falls on this decision. Again, this will be a work in progress throughout training camp and may even be tweaked at times during the regular season.
“DeMar has been really good with that second unit. But if you start staggering starters into the second unit, you’re really putting yourself up for playing nine,” Donovan said. “It’s hard to stagger [with 10 players[. We have to look at it because it’s been good for us.
“But do we have a true second unit? Is it really beneficial for us? I don’t know yet.”
Sunday is the first dress rehearsal.
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