In a city known for its fast-paced energy, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is doubling down on speed as the key to his team’s survival. Following a roster shake-up that left the Bulls undersized and still building chemistry, Donovan made it clear on Thursday that slowing down isn’t an option—it’s not even in his playbook.
Donovan, speaking after practice, emphasized the necessity of maintaining an up-tempo offense despite the challenges posed by his new-look squad. “One is you have to look at are they capable of playing that way?” Donovan said. “Now, are they conditioned for that? We’re trying to obviously get that done. The other point is if we don’t try and play in transition and play fast, we don’t have enough cohesiveness and chemistry to be this team where, ‘We’re going to out-execute you in the halfcourt.’”
The Bulls’ recent trades have disrupted their offensive flow, with the departure of center Nikola Vucevic hitting hardest. Vucevic wasn’t just a big man; he was a facilitator, a high-IQ player who could score from anywhere and anchor plays. “A lot of what we did, and the biggest adjustment has been not having Vooch here,” Donovan explained. “He was such a facilitator and a pocket player, a guy that can score at different levels, you ran offense through him. That’s taken away some of the package. If we try and play in the halfcourt, one, we don’t have enough (practice) time to work on that execution, and two, the way the league is going you want to play a little faster.”
But pushing the pace comes with risks. Players like Collin Sexton, Rob Dillingham, and Anfernee Simons have the tools for fast-break basketball, yet their conditioning lags behind. Donovan is wary of overworking them, especially with increased minutes compared to their previous teams. “What’s been difficult for me is as much as you want to practice, you have guys coming into here that are playing more minutes now than they did at their prior teams,” he added. “There is a concern medically that we’ve got to be careful that if these guys get ramped up so many minutes that these guys end up going out.”
The frontcourt woes compound the issue. Patrick Williams is sidelined with a quad strain from the recent loss to Charlotte, facing at least a week out—possibly more. Forward/center Jalen Smith is also nursing a calf injury, with a similar timeline before reconditioning begins. This leaves the 6-foot-7 Guerschon Yabusele as the makeshift starting center, underscoring the team’s size disadvantage.
Looking ahead, Donovan sees potential in Sexton to step up defensively, bucking his career-long reputation. As the Bulls navigate this transitional phase, the coach’s mantra remains clear: full speed ahead, or risk getting left behind in a league that rewards the quick and the cohesive.
This development comes amid broader questions about the Bulls’ direction post-trade deadline, with fans and analysts watching closely to see if Donovan’s high-octane approach can ignite a turnaround.