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Lonzo Ball never looked right after the Bulls traded him to Cleveland for Isaac Okoro last offseason, leaving the Cavs no choice but to finally move off of him with a trade to Utah in February. The Jazz promptly waived him as he now sits at home hoping to get another chance in the NBA. “I loved him as a player and a guy, and he was so cerebral,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said of Ball on Thursday, reflecting on the frequently-injured point guard. “He was so selfless, that’s really one of the things I admired. To see him have to go through what he went through, to fight to get back, see what he’s going through now, that’s tough for me because it’s almost like what could have been, how good could he have been?” The big what if with Ball after a serious knee injury back in 2022 cost him over two-and-a-half seasons. Even when he returned, he only showed glimpses of the player he was before the knee betrayed him.
Donovan was asked about Dosunmu’s comments – which he said didn’t see – and in a roundabout way said he was not anti-midrange, he was anti-midrange for players that weren’t efficient at it, which is basically the entire roster that his front office has given him. “To me, I think we let the guys play freely,” Donovan said. “I think when you look at some of the analytical stuff and I was on board with probably this a couple years ago; Zach (LaVine) played in the midrange, Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) played in the midrange, and obviously DeMar played in the midrange. And as great as all those guys are offensively we didn’t necessarily have an elite offense. Their shot making, all three of those guys, had the best shot making of their careers while they were together at different points and time. So I’m not opposed to the midrange. “I think you have to play to players’ strengths, so I’m a believer in the first part of the shot clock you certainly want to try and get something downhill to the basket, and generally what happens is when the ball gets into the paint and the ball gets sprayed out that’s when the threes are going to go up. Most of the time the midrange stuff is coming off iso situations. It’s late clock, a guy is stuck with the ball, and at that time you’ve got to manufacture and generate shots.”
In his last three games, Dillingham has averaged 13 points, including a 15-point performance in the Memphis win, while averaging five assists and shooting 6-of-15 (40%) from three-point range. “I’m just thankful for Coach, honestly,” Dillingham said after his latest showing. “Giving me that leash, it’s like I’m renewed. I’ve been able to play freely. My mental when I’ve been out on the court has been bad like for the last couple months, so I’m just thankful that I’m able to play, able to add confidence, able to help us win, and really, I’m just thankful to learn and keep growing.”
“I definitely think the season ends and he’s got a complete runway of the summer, of training, strengthening, doing those things,” Donovan said. “Everybody feels very confident that he’ll be back to where he was athletically. Can he quite get there between now and the end of the season? I don’t know.”
“That would be my guess,” Donovan said, when asked if he thought that mentality would continue. “If we get to a place where we are mathematically out of anything as it relates to postseason and there are guys that are dealing with some ailments or have challenges health-wise, could they say, ‘Hey, let’s get these guys right first.’ I don’t know. Everything I got from them up to this point and time is to continue to put our best foot forward.”
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Joel Lorenzi: Billy Donovan, when asked if he has a better sense of Jaden Ivey's timeline for return — he's repeatedly described his recovery process as "strengthening his leg — Donovan says he still thinks Ivey will play again this year.
KC Johnson: Patrick Williams is having imaging done on a sore quad, per Donovan. Jalen Smith is still out with calf
Joel Lorenzi: Billy Donovan says Anfernee Simons has a wrist fracture, which was determined after imaging. Says it’s a recurring injury from his time in Boston from training camp that didn’t properly heal. Sounds like he won’t get any procedure midseason, and that option hasn’t been discussed. Donovan doesn’t want to call it day-to-day, says it’s a matter of when the pain subsides.
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Joel Lorenzi: Billy Donovan says Anfernee Simons will get imaging done tomorrow, and the Bulls don’t yet know the severity of it. Says the designation of “sprained wrist” could very well change after they see a specialist.
Joel Lorenzi: Donovan says Richards is IN.
K.C. Johnson: Classy moment from Raptors Darko Rajaković, who worked with Billy Donovan in OKC. Rajaković offered condolences to the Donovan family for the passing of Donovan’s father, whom he said he met and called “an amazing human being.”
Following the recent trades, how do you see your role shifting toward leadership alongside players like Josh Giddey? Matas Buzelis: I talked to Billy about it, how I need to be more vocal as a player and I need to speak to guys. You know, guys don't know sets, guys don't know the defense and I have to be more vocal every time I step on the court to try to help my team win. And you know, I feel like I have, I wouldn't say pressure, but I can't find the word right now, I have to talk to everybody more. I have to be communicating on defense for us and also put on an example in the gym of, you know, how I work. And that's all it takes for some guys, just to see how guys work and they can put it into their game.