It was a solid plan for the preseason finale.
Get the starters close to regular-season minutes, preparing them for next week’s tip-off against Oklahoma City. One last run before the lights turn on and the games count.
As Billy Donovan has found out far too often since becoming the Bulls coach, however, very little goes as planned with this organization.
Hours before the eventual 114-105 loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday, Donovan announced that Zach LaVine would miss the game because of illness, while Andre Drummond was also 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 have been nice to have a full complement of guys that are going to be in the rotation.’’
The good news was it isn’t like LaVine or Drummond would be hurt missing a few reps.
Drummond is a singular-minded rebounding machine, while LaVine came into the start of training camp maybe in the best shape of his Bulls career.
Definitely better than at this time last season.
Not only was LaVine a new father in the summer of 2022, but was coming off a cleanup surgery on his left knee that limited the amount of actual basketball work he could put in. Not this offseason.
“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 on LaVine to get better. Sure, he’s got the max contract, the All-Star appearances, and the recognition, but his coach 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 on the defensive side of the ball.
“I thought he improved defensively as the year went on last year,’’ Donovan said of LaVine. “When you look at our defense, we made a jump collectively as a team. I think all five guys have to be bought 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 help 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, evident by the 11-for-36 (30.6%) 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 stay starters once the regular season begins.
White was in a camp battle with Jevon Carter, while Williams was fighting off Torrey Craig.