Billy Donovan Calls Out Bulls’ Play After 1st Preseason Game

The Chicago Bulls’ preseason opener offered several reasons for optimism about the upcoming campaign.

However, the game started off with an all-too-familiar slow start and early deficit to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the starters taking the brunt of it. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was displeased with the team’s effort out of the gates.

The head coach spoke candidly during his postgame presser.

“[Poor defense], and also the offensive part, too,” Donovan said, per The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley on October 8. “The other thing we talked about, even before going out, was that we wanted to make sure the ball was inbounded quickly and we can get up the floor, attack, kind of establish that. And the first two possessions on a made basket, we’ve got our point guard [Josh Giddey] inbounding it and we’re slow coming down the floor, letting them get set.

“Then, some of the physicality at the basket. Like, those are the things we worked on. Especially talking about it before the game.”

I know it’s preseason, so no need to overreact, but this Q1 transition defense from Giddey-PWill is simply unacceptable. This starting unit has the capability to the be the worst defensive team in Bulls’ history. Ayo & Buzelis may eventually need to be inserted in that lineup. pic.twitter.com/1ijZMiEbr4

— See Red Fred (@cbefred) October 9, 2024

The Bulls trailed the Cavs 67-54 at halftime. They used a 34-18 third quarter to surge ahead and won the fourth by a 28-27 margin for the 116-112 victory. The Bulls followed a similar pattern to a 39-43 record in 2023-24.

Bulls Show Old Habits in Win Over Cavaliers

The Bulls had the fifth-worst plus-minus in the first quarter of games and scored the third-fewest points in the frame, per NBA.com in 2023-24.

Their struggles shooting the three-ball (20% versus the Cavs) also continued from last year.

There is uncertainty around this group that belies the number of returning players. The losses of Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan are the biggest differences between the 2024-25 roster and their 2023-24 group.

DeRozan was a player Donovan relied on to keep the Bulls in games or close them out. Caruso was a jack-of-all-trades defender who Donovan deployed against guards and forwards.

The Bulls are trying to integrate several new players.

Josh Giddey is the new lead guard while the previous starter, Lonzo Ball, attempts to make a comeback.  They also have a pair of aging veterans in Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine who may not be long for the roster but will require touches to build their trade value.

Meanwhile, new players like Giddey and rookie No. 11 overall draft pick Matas Buzelis are trying to establish themselves.

The good news for Donovan is that Giddey agreed about the Bulls’ defensive effort.

Josh Giddey Echoes Billy Donovan About Bulls’ Defense

“First problem was the defense,” Giddey said, per Cowley. “[The Cavaliers] got easy looks, started making them. But the second problem was we’re trying to emphasize getting the ball up quick, get it up the floor, and didn’t do that the first 90 seconds of the game.

“You can’t come out of the gates playing like that.”

Giddey acknowledged his defensive deficiencies, saying during his introductory presser in June that he wanted to improve. He remains a work in progress on that end.

The loss of a defensive ace like Caruso compounds the deficiencies of players like Giddey – who was a liability for the Oklahoma City Thunder on that end during the playoffs in 2023-24 – LaVine and Vucevic.

It means their offense has to deliver consistently, and the starters did not exactly do that in the preseason opener.