The Chicago Bulls appear to have their offseason objectives lined up. Their goal remains building up their young core, hopefully with a hit in the upcoming NBA draft. Nobody believes they are anywhere close to title contenders. Still, they did show signs of progress last season. Maybe some adjustments on the margins can finally get them over the hump into the playoffs However, the league is always shifting in unexpected ways. The latest was when another team came calling about the services of head coach Billy Donovan.
The New York Knicks shocked much of the basketball world when they fired Tom Thibodeau following his team’s playoff exit against Indiana. This had been the first time the franchise had reached an Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. They had just gone through the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics to get there. Moving on from the coach who made it possible was bold. Some might even say it was reckless. One thing is clear. New York knows they have to get a coach with credibility to replace Thibodeau, which would explain why they called the Bulls about Donovan.
This decision on Billy Donovan makes the Bulls’ intentions clear.
There has been speculation for some time that Chicago would like to get another extension done with the head coach. Fans won’t be happy about that. Billy Donovan has only made the playoffs once in his Bulls tenure and was immediately eliminated in the first round. The past three years saw the Miami Heat eliminate his team from the play-in tournament. Every sign suggests this team has plateaued, and Donovan cannot lift them any higher. Management and ownership don’t agree. They feel the coach provides needed stability and guidance for a roster that has tried to find a viable core of talent to compete with. Like it or not, they seem committed to staying the course. It’s rather ironic Thibodeau didn’t get nearly as much leeway in Chicago despite having far more success.
