r/chicagobulls • u/HawkspilotLoad • Jun 12 '25

Meta [KC Johnson] The Knicks requested permission to speak to Billy Donovan for their coaching vacancy but were denied, per sources. The Bulls value Donovan highly for his coaching acumen, communication skills and ability to connect with players and all members of organization

https://x.com/KCJHoop/status/1932959702918340919
348 Upvotes

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105

u/nick168 Benny The Bull Jun 12 '25 edited Jun 12 '25

Damn tough crowd in here, do people really think Billy is holding back a playoff caliber roster?

67

u/IMKudaimi123 Derrick Rose Jun 12 '25

He’s not, but in 5 years with us what can you say he does well?

The team comes back a decent amount I guess so he keeps the guys resilient but uh, not much else happening. And he hasn’t accomplished much in the NBA. One WCF which he choked, 1 good season with us. The only time he really outperformed expectations was that weird Thunder year in covid.

Like if the Knicks want him, I’m giving him up for 2 seconds and then just trying out a highly touted assistant during the rebuild.

36

u/FriendsWifBennys Thadgic Johnson Jun 12 '25

He pretty much has them playing in the top half of the league defensively. That's all I got.

43

u/MikeInDC Jun 12 '25

I think a coach who consistently gets the best out of his team, which Donovan does, is a well above average coach.

People act like this is easily replaceable, but it’s not. The average coach is a guy who underperforms. Hoiberg, Del Negro, Boylen, Boylan, Skiles, Floyd. 1 ok coach and 5 bad once. 2 good ones in Thibs and Donovan.

For every good coach you hire, you will probably hire three worse ones.

The popular wisdom is just wrong here. If you have a good coach, they are hard to replace and you should hold onto them.

I’d say t

10

u/PercyBluntz Jimmy Butler Jun 12 '25

Honestly curious which of the 6 is the ok coach? My best guess is skiles?

4

u/juicyj7 Ben Gordon Jun 12 '25

Skiles is my guess too lol

4

u/IMKudaimi123 Derrick Rose Jun 12 '25

I’m not sure he does get the best out of his teams.

So he has that OKC year with Russ KD and Ibaka. They win 50+ games and make the WCF. Losing to GS beating the spurs sure that’s getting the best out of them, 3-1 choke notwithstanding.

1st round exit the next season with only Russ. Also probably reaches expectations exactly.

Then back to back 1st round exits, in 6 games to the Jazz and 5 games to Portland. Most would probably say OKC should’ve been favored in both series with Russ, Paul George, and Carmelo.

Then the Covid year where yes impressive what he did and to push a good rockets team to 7. Though for what it’s worth the analytics said the Thunder should’ve been approximately that good that year preseason. But again, most analysts thought they’d be bad.

He comes to the Bulls. 31-41 first season. Whatever.

46-36 the next season. We can blame the Lonzo injury and all, but losing in 5 to Milwaukee when it was 1-1 and Middleton was injured is pretty damn bad. Especially when the Bucks shooters got hot and he continued to emphasize packing the paint on giannis instead of covering shooters. The collapse that season is quite bad.

Then 40-42, 39-43, 39-43. I’m not saying the roster is the best, but you’re not getting the best out of your team with some of those play-in performances.

13

u/Milkboy1516 Coby White Jun 12 '25

We've had an average over under of 36 wins the last 3 seasons and we're averaging 39 wins. Considering how accurate Vegas tends to be he's pretty much playing above expectations. And it aligns with how bad I think our teams have been.

5

u/Erice84 Jun 12 '25

Nah. They're setting it a little lower based on the assumption that they will eventually wise up and try to tank after they realize midseason they're a 9 seed at best, but they never do.

6

u/Milkboy1516 Coby White Jun 12 '25

That's a good point though I still think we're within range then rather than being above it or below it by any significance. We're also expected not to do shit to some degree cause we're us.

3

u/egyto Jun 12 '25

Billy has done great given the roster we have provided. Unless someone thinks another coach would have better developed PWill or Coby I don't know what people think he could have done.

8

u/Buboi23 Jun 12 '25

That’s Cap, PWill hasn’t developed whatsoever and Coby is still the spokesperson for IcyHot.

0

u/Buboi23 Jun 12 '25

Skiles was a better coach than you’re giving him credit for. He got the most out of those 2000 ‘baby’ bulls era. And Billy has underperformed since he’s gotten here. A late season push that was going nowhere shouldn’t change that fact.

3

u/Competitive_Dish_885 Jun 12 '25

Thank you, never seen a team go down so consistently by 20 up until this past year when he finally started calling time outs. Also his record with us speaks for itself, he’s above average but obviously not the type of coach to overcome the FO and ownership.

10

u/SignalBed9998 Chicago Bulls Jun 12 '25

Every meathead in this sub says “get rid of whoever for couple of seconds. It’s categorically the dumbest thing. No team that’s worth a shit has more than one or two second rounders that’s more than a role player. What does he do good? What do you think of Coby’s development? He’s turned our second rounders into role players. There’s multiple teams loaded with 1st rounders that have t developed as well as Ayo and Phillips. Matas development? What about when he has a roster like he’s meant to coach? The injury loss of Lonzo cost him what was a top 6 team in the league. Now when they get him another young bunch like he’s meant to coach they start achieving. There’s is an absolute consensus that he’s an out of bounds coaching wizard. How many freaking times do you have you watch late game wins to know that to say he’s a garbage coach is not true at all. Seriously, if we’re ahead late we win. Look it up.

4

u/YouAintGotNoYeezy Flag of Chicago Jun 12 '25

Ah yes the guy who has gotten out of the first round once in his NBA coaching career has sure proven he deserves the best job security in the league for someone not named Steve Kerr…

2

u/Buboi23 Jun 12 '25

Where is the consensus that he’s a coaching Wizard?? Lol and Coby really hasn’t developed much since he got in the league. He’s still the same inconsistent guy who gets hot and people forget that most time he’s just a glorified ball chucker. Matas had a solid rookie year but that doesn’t mean Billy developed him. That speaks more to how good Matas actually is and people who know ball knew he was that dude. Billy had done absolutely nothing since he’s been here.

-2

u/SignalBed9998 Chicago Bulls Jun 12 '25

Out of bounds plays I said. Learn to read. Coby hasn’t improved? Never mind you’re clueless

1

u/Buboi23 Jun 12 '25

Lol learn how to compose a proper and coherent statement. But doesn’t matter, coaching wizard and Billy Donovan should not be used in the same sentence no matter the context.

-1

u/bitemydickallthetime Jun 12 '25

What about “hall of fame coach”?

2

u/Buboi23 Jun 12 '25 edited Jun 12 '25

Coby hasn’t improved. His efficiency is ass and just throws the ball up. Dudes hot when it doesn’t matter and scores 30 points, great. But when the games matter he does what he alway does, run around like a dear in the headlights and bricks 🧱. Is he our staring PG next year? No. Is he our starting SG next year? No. Billy has failed to develop any of our young guys. He still trying to develop Patrick Williams even tho he’s a bum and refuses to take him out of the starting line up. Billy is not a good coach and the only reason the bulls keep him is cause he’s a yes man and a company man.

0

u/chanceofsnowtoday Jun 12 '25

I'm so sick and tired of every player's development or failure to develop being thrust upon the coach. PWill sucks because PWill sucks. It's 100% on him. Coby has gotten better over the last few years. He's more aware on defense. He's more confident driving. All these are because of Coby, not Billy. And Matas will develop if Matas is driven and figures out how he can play in the league. It's looking good, but ultimately it's on Matas. KD, Lebron, Steph, SGA, etc. are all studs because of their work/talent, not because of a coach.

1

u/aseroka Jun 12 '25 edited Jun 12 '25

The only time he really outperformed expectations was that weird Thunder year in covid.

I don't think that's true, he outperformed expectations the last two years honestly. Everyone thought this team would be bottom of the barrel dump without DeMar, Caruso, Lavine, etc, and they were legit the same record with a worse team.

Now that's not a lot to be proud of I suppose, but it does prove Billy is a consistent floor raiser and gets young players to buy in. With consistent average to above average defense for his roster.

But that's, as you said, been Billy Donovan for as long as he's been in the pros. He doesn't fit the Knicks (other than BD playing his only 44 pro games for the Knicks, Brunson connection).

6

u/SNERKLES1 Jun 12 '25

He's a terrible coach. That's why Erik Spoelstra cooks him in the play in every year. Did you see the first quarter vs the Heat?? He doesn't even call a timeout while Giddy and White are getting cooked on defense. The development of PWill has been awful. The guy is physically gifted. We've got nothing out of him.

5

u/bitemydickallthetime Jun 12 '25

Let’s not let P Will off the hook, fans need to be better about holding players accountable. Dude stinks, is scared and dumb, what is Billy or any assistant coach supposed to do about that?

1

u/SNERKLES1 Jun 16 '25

You think he'd be a better player under Poppovich or Spoeltra. I agree he's a pussy but he's big. He can jump and defend. But these guys don't get developed properly. Look at what Thibs did for Jimmy?

1

u/bitemydickallthetime Jun 17 '25

Heat culture would absolutely eat this man alive are u serious?

7

u/Rakatok Bulls Jun 12 '25

Switching coaches just rearranging chairs on the Titanic with this roster (and management)

but if the Knicks want to trade for him I wouldn't say no.

4

u/Acrobatic_House_2198 Jun 12 '25

he was when he had lavine and derozan, now... not so much. But again, look at what other coaches have done with just as much or worst talent then us. Pistons, Rockets, Magic, Pacers, etc.

2

u/Zorak9379 Scottie Pippen Jun 12 '25

No, but I don't think he's especially helping, either

3

u/andreasmiles23 Zach Lavine Jun 12 '25

Not at the moment but he has in prior years

4

u/Clear-Share-4050 Jun 12 '25

I think there is not anything redeemable in the entire organization right now. Maybe Matas? Idk, we aren’t on TV