The Athletic has been tracking the Bulls’ happenings under a microscope as of late, knowing that a definitive direction will be taken within the organization regarding their star players and key pieces within the franchise at a moment’s notice. With a 5-10 record through their first 15 games, Chicago is on pace to miss the playoffs again, see DeMar DeRozan hit unrestricted free agency and Patrick Williams head to restricted free agency, and be staring at the same roster makeup for yet another summer. Per The Athletic, one Chicago Bulls seat could be the hottest in the building, and if it weren’t for a miraculous 21-point comeback on Saturday, he might already have been fired. Who’s under more pressure than Zach LaVine, and how soon until the pin is pulled?
Saved By The Bell
There are a lot of varying opinions on Billy Donovan’s job status in Chicago. Former players and assistants praise his basketball mind, while his current squad and locker room seemingly have slowly turned on the fourth-year Bulls coach. Hosting a players-only meeting after the year’s opening game was not a good look on his resume, and LaVine’s recent comment, “I mean, the players are doing everything they can,” is also not a ringing endorsement on his coach’s behalf. The tides have been turning this week from pinning the lack of success in recent years on LaVine’s back to Donovan’s.
History Repeating Itself
Donovan’s track record is approaching those who have coached the Chicago Bulls before him, and he’s now staring down the barrel of a similar fate of those who were relieved of their duties before his arrival. Owning a career-winning percentage of 46.7%, outside of Tom Thibodeau and Phil Jackson, he’s in line with every coach in Chicago since 1990. None of those head coaches survived longer than their fourth year, which Donovan is in now, and the lone coach to make it that far, Fred Hoiberg, was canned midseason after a 5-19 start. Remember that Chicago is currently 5-10 through the first portion of the 2023 campaign.
There’s an increasingly intense bout between LaVine and Donovan for who can absorb more blame, see more rumors swirl, and survive this losing season. There’s a feel in the Windy City that one, if not both, will be gone before year’s end. Looking at the numbers, each one has flaws, and it’s genuinely a toss-up as to whom the franchise might attribute more of the downward trend. Donovan did receive a multi-year extension last summer, and LaVine’s contract is inked through 2027.
With one playoff appearance in LaVine’s seven years and Donovan’s three in Chicago, it’s time to try something new. Replacing the star player and the head coach is the beginning of a new era, something very likely on the horizon for the Chicago Bulls.
