4 takeaways from the start of Chicago Bulls training camp, including Billy Donovan’s offense and early Patrick Williams impressions
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine said there is a “different energy” now that the team has a new front office and coaching staff. He said it’s not just a palpable feeling in the mood of the team, either — he has noticed differences around the Advocate Center.
“They’re showing their faces. I see them every morning. I get here at 8 and they’re already in the gym,” LaVine said. “They’re on the court with you and not just talking about basketball but personal life things — what things you like around here, what things you don’t like. They want you to be up front. They’re willing to change and hear players’ opinions. I think that’s something different from the past.”
There was a hint of excitement coming from the Bulls as they kicked off training camp for individual workouts this week — which is understandable considering they are preparing for their first game since their season was halted in March by COVID-19. They have just about the same roster from their last game, but the organization has an injection of energy by new leadership in top basketball executive Arturas Karnisovas, general manager Marc Eversley and coach Billy Donovan.
“That’s the main thing: We have to show it,” LaVine said. “The last couple years, we haven’t been able to show that. And we haven’t been together as a team, either. We’ve been injured, and there hasn’t been a lot of consistency throughout our lineups. It gives them a chance to look at us and see what we have, and it gives us a chance to go out there and show what we can do. Because to be frank about it, we haven’t really shown anything.”
As the Bulls prepare to start proving they are better than the 22 wins they notched in each of the past two seasons, here are four takeaways from the start of the virtual “media week” to kick off camp.
1. Billy Donovan offers a window into his offense.
Billy Donovan adopted many coaching styles during his tenure in Oklahoma City, so it’s unclear what shape the Bulls offense will take with him at the helm. But after being hired a few months ago and having an opportunity to study the roster, he began to offer insight into his offensive philosophies for the Bulls.
“I do think with this group we’ve got to run, and we’ve got to be really willing to move and to cut and to help each other generate shots,” Donovan said. “I think that’s going to be important for this group. From an identity standpoint, what kind of shots can we create? How good of shots can we create?”
Shot creation was an issue for the Bulls last year, but they did not add a point guard during the offseason. That could be a sign that they view Coby White as a potential lead point guard, or at least are willing to give him time to grow into one. Karnisovas has attempted to make the roster more versatile and aimed to add players with ball handling abilities, which should help take pressure off White and guard Zach LaVine, who carried the brunt of the team’s playmaking responsibilities last season.
“Zach is such a dynamic player offensively, but we can’t always rely on him being so dynamic,” Donovan said. “We’ve got to rely on each other. So how can we build out a system offensively where we’re not only playing into guys’ strengths, but we’re creating a situation where maybe the sum is greater than the parts so to speak where we’re all helping each other.
“A lot of that now is we’re going to have to move and cut and work to generate good shots. That starts on the rebound, being able to get out and run in transition. And I think it really starts in the half court.”
2. Rookie forward Patrick Williams is making an impression.
Donovan was an early fan of Patrick Williams, which played a key factor in the team drafting him No. 4 overall.
“For his size and the way he can handle the basketball and the way he can pass, I think that’s really a positive,” Donovan said. “I think those things will certainly translate. I think when to shoot, when to pass, when to drive, being a young player, he’ll learn those things. He’s a great kid, extremely humble, hard working. Wants to learn, wants to get better. He’s got tremendous upside and tremendous ability.”
Rookies this season will not have the luxury of being eased into the NBA. They will be shotgunned into action instead despite not having played a game in nearly a year in most cases, without a summer league and a with a reduced training camp. So it might take players such as Williams time to get acclimated.
But the early impressions of Williams are positive.
“I’ve seen how well he plays defense, how physical he is for a 19-year-old,” forward Lauri Markkanen said. “It’s pretty impressive to see. I wish I was like that at that age. He’s a really nice guy. It’s been my pleasure getting to know him.
“On the court, I think he can be really good. He can do a little bit of everything. They obviously talk about (how) he can guard multiple positions, but I think he can play multiple positions too. He’s long and athletic. How well he stays in front of the offensive player, that’s really great to see for our new rookie.”
3. The Bulls likely plan to ease Otto Porter into action.
After nine months without a competitive basketball game, there is going to be an adjustment period for some players. The Bulls recognized Tuesday that they are going to have to bring some players along slowly, which could include forward Otto Porter.
Porter has struggled with injuries since being acquired by the Bulls at the trade deadline in 2019; that includes a foot injury that reduced him to 14 games last year. Keeping him healthy will be important for the Bulls to keep another scorer and ball handler on the floor, and Donovan hinted at reduced minutes for Porter to start the season.
“I talked about a ramp-up period, so to speak, with our group,” Donvoan said. “For Otto with the amount of time he’s missed, certainly him being healthy is the most important thing to our team. But he’s been back here, he’s been working, which has been great to see.
“I’ve always felt like before, even his time in Washington, he’s smart. He’s got a really good feel of how to play, he can make a shot. He’s a good passer. He’s just been a guy who has not been available very much since he’s been here.”
4. Arturas Karnisovas explains a quiet free-agent period.
Aside from a few minor roster moves, the Bulls had a quiet offseason in Karnisovas’ first year at the helm. He did not have much flexibility, but he brought back 13 of the 15 members from last year’s roster, although two more players are in camp to try out for a roster spot.
And as he explained his philosophy regarding free agency, Karnisovas said he wasn’t ready to make major changes right away.
“Probably because we were pretty happy with the roster that we had,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of wiggle room to work with. We added players that are versatile. We added some leadership, experience to the roster we already had and that was the mentality. And also preserving cap room for next summer and using this season to look at our roster and evaluate and see what the long-term goals will be following this season.”
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