It’s a discussion that needs to take place.
Maybe not this weekend when Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks are in town or even during the final six-game stretch of the regular season, but at some point, there has to be a line of accountability drawn in the sand. The Bulls’ front office has to get together with the coaching staff and make it known that how the season culminates will have consequences on how the offseason plays out.
Coach Billy Donovan said that talk hasn’t happened yet, and, considering how executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have built this roster, who knows if it’s even on the agenda.
“I have not had any discussions [about that], but I think our guys have done a really good job with what’s been thrown at them and what we’ve had to overcome,” Donovan said. “And I believe in my heart that there’s enough in the locker room to find ways to get wins and results. The part of expectations of competing, you’re supposed to do that, it’s all of our jobs, right? But I think we can get results.
“But the reality is there’s $70 million that’s not playing. That’s just a reality.”
That “$70 million” encompasses Zach LaVine (foot surgery), Patrick Williams (foot surgery) and Lonzo Ball (knee surgery).
There’s no doubt that missing those three has put added pressure on DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu to play heavy minutes, but it also has tested the depth of the roster Karnisovas built.
A big concern is Karnisovas has said that he wants the Bulls’ season to be judged on “competitiveness.” He made that clear after the Feb. 8 trade deadline, the last time he spoke to the media.
When asked if ownership was happy with the job he has done, Karnisovas said, “I think so. Since I came here to Chicago, I wanted to have a competitive team. We came up with a formula in 2021. We’ve had somewhat of a success. Obviously took a step back with some injuries. Any adjustments in the future we have to make, I’m very positive about that, as well.”
But will they and can they make those adjustments? The can-they part will come down to the trade market and finally finding a trade partner for LaVine, the top priority of the offseason. The will-they is a bit more cloudy.
If the Bulls survive the play-in tournament and make the playoffs, expect a bring-it-all-back mentality, including a contract extension for DeRozan. If they fall short in the play-in, however, it’ll get interesting.
Donovan is 100% safe, so expect the coaching staff to come out unscathed. Could a play-in failure alter the pursuit of DeRozan? Unlikely, because they opted not to trade him in February.
If LaVine can’t be moved — a real possibility — expect a few changes with respect to the depth of the roster, and that’s about it. At least that’s how Donovan made it sound.
“Have we always played great? No, but they’ve always tried to respond and get better,” he said. “[The injuries are] a big hit when you look at it financially. It’s no excuse. I do think the front office will at least look at the totality of the year and what happened, where we’re at in terms of how you shore up things where maybe there’s a little more depth.”
