It was a solid plan for the preseason finale.
Get the starters close to regular-season minutes to prepare them for next week’s tip-off against the Thunder.
But as Billy Donovan has found out far too often since becoming their coach, little goes as planned with the Bulls.
Hours before the 114-105 loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday, Donovan announced that Zach LaVine would miss the game because of illness and that Andre Drummond was out for personal reasons.
So much for the final dress rehearsal.
“It is what it is,’’ Donovan said, trying to put a positive spin on it. “This happens during the course of a season. A lot of times you can go in and plan for stuff, and things happen. It would’ve been nice to have a full complement of guys that are going to be in the rotation.’’
Missing a few reps, however, won’t hurt LaVine or Drummond.
Drummond is a rebounding machine, and LaVine came into training camp in possibly the best shape of his Bulls career — definitely better than at this time last season.
LaVine was a new father in the summer of 2022 and was coming off a cleanup surgery on his left knee that limited the amount of actual basketball work he could put in.
“I’m in shape; I’m not rehabbing, so you’re not second-guessing things,’’ LaVine said last week. “‘I feel like myself, like I did from December on.’’
Donovan also feels like there’s a mindset to get better. LaVine has the max contract, the All-Star appearances and the recognition, but Donovan sees a player who is not satisfied going into Year 10.
“He definitely doesn’t have the attitude of, ‘Hey, listen, I am who I am, I’ve arrived. I’m going to show up and get 25 a night, and that’s it.’ ’’ Donovan said. “I don’t think he views it that way. I think he’s trying to take another jump as a player.’’
He’ll need to if the Bulls want to climb out of their current state of mediocrity.
Of their “Big Three’’ of LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, LaVine is the youngest and has the most room to make a jump, especially defensively.
“I thought [LaVine] improved defensively as the year went on last year,’’ Donovan said. “When you look at our defense, we made a jump collectively as a team. I think all five guys have to buy in to do that. He tried to really make a jump there.’’
The rest of the to-do list has included LaVine working on catch-and-shoot from beyond the three-point line, as well as making an effort to play more pick-and-roll with Vucevic.
“My conversations this summer with Zach, spending time with him, I think there was a real focus on what he can do to continue to make us better,’’ Donovan said.
There wasn’t much he could do against Minnesota, however, as the Bulls (1-4) shot their way right out of the gym.
The focus has been putting up more three-pointers this season, but making those long-range shots continued to be the issue (an 11-for-36 showing). Call it a work in progress.
What was no longer a work in progress was Donovan coming up with his starting lineup. It came as no surprise, considering how Coby White and Patrick Williams started every preseason game. But they will also remain as the starters once the regular season begins.
White was in a camp battle with Jevon Carter, while Williams was fighting off Torrey Craig.
