Losing is taking a toll as Bulls' unity is starting to splinter
As a cloud of despair grows over the Bulls, whose losing streak hit seven games with a 32-point loss to the Warriors on Sunday, coach Billy Donovan is walking the line between trying to build harmony and publicly sending a message to the team.
“I think [the disconnect] is the details,” Donovan said. “We’re not gifted enough or good enough to not [address those], and we’ve got to stay focused. [Fixing the] disconnect is when they care enough about each other in that locker room — that’s when it will get done.”
But that may not be an easy pitch as the losing takes a toll on the Bulls’ chemistry, with several veterans reportedly trying to hold things together. A source told the Sun-Times on Monday that it’s a crucial time for the team because it’s starting to splinter. Guard Coby White, the longest-tenured Bull, has been one of the main figures trying to put out fires and limit finger-pointing while still holding teammates accountable, the source said.
White gave an impromptu speech on that very topic last week.
“We’re a close group — we’ve got a lot of great relationships on this team,” he said. “[But] we’ve got to continue to have the honest conversations we’re having with each other, continue to grow.”
And what if the losing continues and isn’t fixable? That’s becoming more and more realistic for a team with up to eight players in their walk years. White, Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Ayo Dosunmu and Jevon Carter all will be unrestricted free agents next summer, while Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry have decisions to make as they approach the ends of their rookie deals — all adding up to a potential powderkeg.
Donovan has addressed the contract situation several times with the team, but he’s facing a big test between the losing and the fact there’s no superstar to bail the Bulls out in tough game situations.
“In the adversity we’re going through — the losing, whatever it is — I think your true colors come out in who you are and your competitive character,” Donovan said. “If that’s the way we would go, that would really, really speak deeply to the individual and collective character of the group. I don’t worry about that.
“The [only] way I worry about it right now is, how about the guys that are going into the last year of a contract? How about taking care of those guys? That would be my mentality [as a teammate]. We have an opportunity to go in there every single night and say, ‘You know what? I know he’s going into the last year. I’m going to try and do everything I can to make sure he gets taken care of, man. He’s open — I’m going to find him. And you know what? I’m going to help this guy block out . . .’ That’s really what you do.”
The Bulls, now 9-14 after starting the season 5-0, have four days between games and won’t play again until Friday night at Charlotte. That might not seem like a lot of time to get everyone’s head right, but it’s all Donovan has for now.
Could he see his players selfishly going in different directions?
“I don’t believe we have that kind of group in there, in my opinion,” he said. “I could be wrong. That’s how I feel. [We’ll keep pushing] that mentality that, ‘You know what, my own individual stuff is just as equally important as the guy sitting next to me . . . .’
“One of the greatest things about team sports that I love is it’s all relative about the sacrifice to win. The more you put the focus on the man next to you, your job becomes a lot easier.”