It’s not the first time a shadow has fallen over Billy Donovan’s basketball future — even if it comes from gambling websites during the preseason.
Betonline and several other betting services have the Bulls coach as “first coach to be fired,” with odds currently sitting at +400.
Before a 133-124 double-overtime victory over the Nuggets on Thursday night at the United Center, Donovan talked about his future and the idea of being on the hot seat in his fourth Bulls season.
“I think for me, just throughout my life — I mean, this is even going back into high school — I obviously as a player was told to transfer. ‘I’m never going to play,’” Donovan said. “I was told that at Providence College. Someone was sharing a funny story with me that when I was at Florida, there was a chapter in a book that said, “Firebomb Billy Donovan’s House.” I understand the expectations wherever you’re at, and for me, I had five straight years at the University of Florida when we had played for a national championship in 2000, and then five straight years of getting knocked out in the first and second round [of the NCAA Tournament], and people weren’t happy. I wasn’t, either.”
Donovan admittedly hasn’t been happy with what has transpired so far in Chicago, where he has a 117-119 (.496) record and only one playoff appearance — not what Arturas Karnisovas, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, hired him for.
After back-to-back championships at Florida, Donovan made the jump to the NBA with the Thunder in 2015 and had five seasons of winning basketball (243-157 for a .608 winning percentage).
Before anyone starts getting any ideas about Donovan being on his way out, remember: Karnisovas and the Reinsdorfs — Michael and Jerry — think highly enough of Donovan that they extended his deal last season. However, all bets are off, considering what Jerry Reinsdorf did in firing the top two White Sox executives, Rick Hahn and Ken Williams, this season.
In other words, Donovan isn’t necessarily “Teflon Don.”
“I totally get and understand it’s a result-oriented business,” he said. “I totally get that what makes this place special is they obviously have a really passionate fan base. We also have an enormous amount of history in the past of incredible success. For me, I take that very, very serious. I don’t think that, however, my relationship with Arturas or [general manager] Marc [Eversley] or Jerry and Michael changes how I go about each and every day, trying to work and help our group the best I can.”
Donovan is still looking for a starting point guard — Coby White remains the leader in the clubhouse — and continues to tweak the offense to play faster and shoot more three-pointers.
After launching 35 threes in Sunday’s loss to the Bucks, there was a slight down-tick Thursday for the starting group, who went 2-for-12 from long range. That’s not a concern so early in the process of changing the shot profile, but it’s definitely something Donovan will have to keep stressing.
One of the highlights to come out of Thursday’s win: Defensive-minded reserve guard Alex Caruso scored 14 points and went 4-for-6 from three-point range.
