On Tuesday, April 8, Chicago Bulls‘ head coach Billy Donovan shared his thoughts on the news that the Denver Nuggets had parted ways with championship-winning head coach Mike Malone.
Donovan’s comments came during an interview with Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“For me, because there’s a personal relationship with Mike because we grew up together – obviously, there’s an age separation, but the same neighborhood, the same area, so part of me feels bad that it got to that point because he did a great job,” Donovan said. “I think the biggest thing is with three games left to play, no disrespect to anybody on their staff or in the organization, he’s taken them to a championship, he knows the group probably better than anybody. Certainly, as a coach, I have an enormous amount of respect for him. I consider him a friend. I feel bad for him, I think the guy did an amazing job from the time he was there.”
Donovan has been the head coach of the Bulls since 2020. During his tenure in the Windy City, Donovan has amassed a record of 192-205 during the regular season. Chicago has either been dealing with injury issues or moving toward a rebuild during Donovan’s time with the franchise.
Nevertheless, seeing Malone lose his job, despite bringing a championship to the Nuggets in 2023, likely hit home for Donovan. The NBA is often a volatile place for head coaches, especially when those coaches are tasked with winning a championship.
Fortunately, the Bulls’ front office has remained patient with Donovan, knowing he’s one of the best coaches the NBA has to offer.
Bulls are Embracing Building Through the Draft
During a recent mailbag article for NBA.com, Sam Smith noted how the Bulls are unlikely to enter the sweepstakes for Kevin Durant. Instead, Chicago is expected to build through the draft and free agency.
“The Bulls seem pretty done with the big-time-free-agent Alpha route and Big Three makeup,” Sam Smith wrote in a recent mailbag for NBA.com. “…But since the Vučević trade it seems like the Bulls have decided, especially with the urgency in the LaVine trade to get their own daft pick back, that the future will be more about using their own picks in an organic improvement.”
Smith continued.
“…I doubt the Bulls endanger that by trying to make a move to win once—or get to sixth—than gradually building upon what they have. It’s difficult, but it seems like they are going to pursue sustainability over the spectacular. A lot of teams like Philadelphia recently won the offseason; it’s not as valid a route anymore.”
Donovan has proven more than capable of developing young talent. His presence on the sidelines will likely empower the front office to take a patient approach to rebuilding the roster.
Donovan Pleased With Bulls Resilience
During a March 28 media availability, Donovan praised his new-look roster’s impressive resilience. Chicago has enjoyed a strong second half to the season. Josh Giddey, Coby White, Tre Jones and Matas Buzelis have all impressed.
“There’s just a mentality inside the team,” Donovan said. “I think they’ve grown close together, and they realize that with eight or nine or however many games we have left, they wanna try to do something. They really do, and I really appreciate it. Every day, I feel like they come in and give me what they have. I think they give each other what they have. I think it’s the most powerful thing. They have a belief. That they believe they can do it. That, to me, is powerful, and I wanna make sure they maintain that.”
Donovan is slowly finding a new young core within his Bulls roster. If the front office can find a way to retain Giddey and Jones, while re-signing White next season, there could be some exciting times ahead, especially if the team drafts well and makes smart moves during free agency.
