The Bulls are in turmoil with seemingly little to build on. Is coach Billy Donovan’s job in jeopardy?
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls are ready for change.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas made that clear this week. The 6-14 start after their 120-113 overtime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at the United Center is a harsh wake-up call that the roster can’t continue as it stands. The Bulls are stuck in a holding pattern as they await the first checkpoint of the trade window in mid-December, when players will become available and a shake-up can begin.
But would that include fourth-year coach Billy Donovan?
If recent history is the only guide, it’s a fair assumption that the coach’s chair in Chicago is beginning to heat up. The last two coaches the Bulls released were in similarly bleak positions before they were fired during the season, prompting multiple upheavals in the last decade.
The Bulls cut the cord on Fred Hoiberg after a 5-19 start in 2018, a move that “blindsided” the coach after four consecutive losing seasons. Jim Boylen met his fate much deeper into the 2019-20 season, but a 5-10 start painted a stark picture of the dismal 22-win demise that was soon to follow. The team’s record sits squarely between the two — and reflects similar dysfunction.
Donovan, 58, understands the gravity of the situation. This is the worst start to a season in his nine-year NBA coaching tenure. He has finished a season under .500 only twice. Now he’s just battling to get the Bulls over .300.
“I own it,” Donovan said before Tuesday’s road loss to the Boston Celtics. “I’m a big believer that you are what your record says you are. I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Well, you know, a couple tough losses and we could be .500.’ No. This is what we are. So how do we get better and how do we improve? What are the issues we have to address?”
Donovan entered Thursday with a 122-133 record and one playoff appearance with the Bulls — they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the first round in 2022. Despite the results, Donovan is committed to making the most of what’s left in Chicago — and the Bulls front office appears to be equally committed to Donovan.
It was clear Donovan impressed Karnišovas — who took over in April 2020 and hired Donovan that September — and ownership when they quietly extended his contract last summer, a move that will keep the coach in Chicago for at least three more years. And Karnišovas was open with his praise of Donovan in the preseason.
Even amid the losses the last three seasons, the Bulls have shown flashes of promise under Donovan. They played like a real competitor in 2021 and earned a playoff berth. The Bulls grew into one of the best defenses in the league last season, fueled by adjustments and schemes Donovan crafted. And he has been willing to adjust frequently in an attempt to find solutions, from in-game shifts and starting lineups to molding players such as Coby White into different positions.
Still, the Bulls’ track record over the last four seasons creates little confidence. So why not blow the whole thing up?
That’s just not the status quo for the franchise. Under Karnišovas, the front office never has been keen to make multiple changes at once. The preferred approach is to change one variable at a time, assess how that change has affected the team’s success and then move on to the next potential change.
Outside of the 2021 offseason — when Karnišovas made his most aggressive gambit to acquire DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball — the front office hasn’t made multiple swings at the same time.
The style requires more patience than Bulls fans are willing to accept at the moment, especially as they stare down the possibility of missing the playoffs for the seventh time in the 10 years. But it’s not a pattern the Bulls are likely to break this season.
And for the next variable, the front office clearly isn’t fixated on Donovan. For now, the focus is centered on moving Zach LaVine by the February trade deadline. LaVine’s departure would allow the Bulls to begin assessing next steps, whether that means a full rebuild or just retooling around DeRozan or another player.
Although Donovan’s future is uncertain, the front office always has viewed him as the steady hand to guide the team through periods of transition and uncertainty, which would include the post-LaVine transition.
Bulls fans still can hope for change — but for now it’s unlikely to be Donovan.
