It seemed fitting that the Bulls defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, moving to the sixth seed in the East, behind Zach LaVine’s 35 points the day after LaVine won his first All-Star selection.
But not for any reason you can imagine.
Yes, the Bulls acquired LaVine from the Timberwolves when the previous management regime decided to dive into a complete rebuild and replace Jimmy Butler in June 2017. And, yes, LaVine is the Bulls’ first All-Star since Butler that same year.
But it’s more for this reason: the Timberwolves arrived Wednesday night with Chris Finch training their second game since replacing fired Ryan Saunders. There are three coaches – Tom Thibodeau, Saunders, Finch – in four years since LaVine left the city.
This turnover is common for LaVine, who, in Billy Donovan, is playing for his sixth coach in his seventh NBA season. Flip Saunders, Sam Michell, Thibodeau, Fred Hoiberg, Jim Boylen, Donovan.
But that’s why LaVine’s rise to All-Star status in Donovan’s first season with the Bulls is so important. Donovan is not going anywhere. The word around the league is that LaVine doesn’t either.
And therefore, a partnership that started out strong and full of respect must only strengthen and grow.
It is another reason why it makes sense for the Bulls to extend LaVine, whether this off season or the next. Just think of what he can achieve with some stability as a coach, especially someone of Donovan’s stature?
“Billy’s been great, man,” said LaVine. “Total of 180 since last year, because we have practically the same team. We had our share of ups and downs, games that we should have won and we didn’t go out and play the right way. My approach and approach is very different mentally.
“I’ve been saying this all along: (Donovan) challenges you and he is so respected and does it the right way. Obviously, we were all bought from the beginning. We were ready to fight for this guy. “
Donovan uses similarly complimentary language when asked about LaVine.
“In my little time with Zach, I will say this: it is unfortunate in many ways that people do not have the chance to see behind the scenes who he is as a person. He’s an amazing teammate and an incredible guy, and I think that showing, what you were talking about with your teammates, goes to the heart of how they feel about him personally, ”said Donovan, when asked about the joy genuine from teammates on the All Star Selection. “I would say that he is a great player and, as much as he played, he is an even better person than that. I have a lot of respect for his game and what he did and the way he worked and tried to improve and improve, but he was always incredibly accessible. He has an incredibly open mind.
“He’s the same guy every day. I think consistency is a big part for a player. As talented and gifted as he is, he’s the same guy with his personality every day. I always ask him, ‘How are you?’ He says: ‘I’m fine. I’m always fine. ‘I think you talk to him. The boys like to be around him and the boys like his company. “
This trait of coexistence was observed by other coaches who trained LaVine. But this Donovan-LaVine partnership oozes potential.
LaVine’s commitment to becoming a two-way player – a process that former coach Jim Boylen, however maligned, started by challenging him – fits in perfectly with Donovan’s objective approach to responsibility.
Of course, LaVine is responding to Donovan. He said he respects how directly Donovan challenges him. But when he says “he does it the right way”, that’s what LaVine means: Donovan does it without seeking credit. It empowers the player, even when he maintains a high standard.
“Zach was the one who made those decisions, that he really wanted to focus on becoming a two-way player, that he wanted to focus on winning. It came from him, ”said Donovan. “Now, obviously, when you have a player in that place, I think that as a coach you try to put things on the plate that will put you in a position where he is challenged to face some of the things he wants to face. ‘OK, do you want to be a bidirectional player? This is what it takes, this is what it looks like. This is what you need to do. Do you want to be a guy who wants to be a leader? Well, you have to come in and be the guy who works the most. If you want to be able to hold your teammates accountable, you must first take responsibility. ‘You can’t be the type of guy who isn’t doing this and say,’ Listen, do what I say, not what I do.
“I think it has been a learning process for him. Because I think because he is so talented, a lot of it has been, ‘Give me the ball and I will try to take us home and win the game.’ And I think he realized that it isn’t working. So, I think there are things he learned over the six years he’s been in the league, I think there are things he learned last year that made him a better player. I think I’m coming as a coach, I tried to challenge him just to be better in the areas where he wanted to be better. And to be honest with you, I totally agreed with him watching the movie when we sat down and talked about the areas he wanted to improve. And I think he’s been very, very good at cooperating and listening to my message. “
The message connects completely when it comes to the desire to win. Donovan and LaVine share this equally and passionately. It is a relationship on its front end, the possibilities seemingly endless, as long as stability remains at stake.
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