Billy Donovan must feel like he’s training on quicksand. For each day learning the Bull lineup, one day answering questions about the ambiguous availability of the players. For each rotation experiment, a spontaneous absence. Or four.
Even so, the show continues. And everything went smoothly on Thursday, thanks in large part to the exploits of a new bench squad with a focus on Thad Young and Daniel Gafford. With Otto Porter Jr. jumping to Markkanen’s place with the starting unit, the two, plus Garrett Temple and Denzel Valentine, combined 41 points in 62.1 percent of shots against Washington.
“I give these guys a lot of credit. These guys are good enough to start with, but they are totally team guys, ”said Donovan of the Bulls reserve. “When you bring these guys in and they stay ready and focused and know what they have to do, when you can generate that kind of offense at the bank with these guys, it certainly helps.”
Gafford was his hyper-energetic self, affecting plays with his length and activity on the defensive end and jagged edges on the other. He ended the night with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block, hurling an uber-efficient 7-to-8 from the field and recording a game-high +23 plus-minus.
He was instrumental in preventing the Wizards’ 10-0 run in the middle of the second quarter, which featured four Bulls turns and threatened his dominance of the game. He had a similar impact in the third when the Bulls counterattacked a 10-2 run by the Wizards at halftime by beating the hosts 34-22 in the final nine minutes of the period.
“We have come a long way since the first three games we played. We learned lessons on how to deal with adversity. There were moments in those games that we played and at the beginning when we lost, they were moments like, basically, we just gave up. We were checked mentally. We weren’t doing the things we did in the games we won, ”said Gafford. “Adversity was a big problem for us.”
Donovan awake Thursday was a step in the right direction in that department.
How about a hint of personal adversity for good measure? Gafford’s departure came at a time when his dominance over a rotation site seemed to slip with Donovan’s success in casting Lauri Markkanen as the team’s functional support center for Carter. Gafford missed the ground in his last-second loss to Golden State on Sunday, and recorded just six minutes in the Wizards’ first victory on Tuesday.
“Just being patient, being professional. Sometimes you won’t get what you want when it comes to playing time and certain things, ”said Gafford. “But the bank people came and we did what we had to do. We left. We are ready. We go out and play the ball we always play. “
“I really appreciate him staying ready, being professional as a young player,” said Donovan of Gafford. “I thought he was a presence, defensively, on the edge and I thought he was an offensive presence in submissions.”
Young, however, made his debut in 2020-21 – both in the preseason and in the regular season – Thursday after battling a serious leg infection for nearly three weeks. He later said he played with only a 5-on-5 session on his resume, but it hardly seemed, registering 15 points, six assists and two steals in 27 minutes.
“I am prepared for everything. For me, it’s just going out there and playing basketball. It’s a game I love. And I play with passion, so I’m one of those guys who will always be ready, no matter what, ”said Young.
In fact, young man has been doing this for a while. 14 years to be exact – for good and bad teams, in stable and oscillating roles.
But he was even surprised by the finish line and his ability to effectively close the disputed fourth quarter final straight at the center point of the small ball.
“I myself was shocked that my pace and time were still there,” he said, later praising the Bulls’ coaches for helping him quickly get in shape.
Donovan was also a little shocked by Young’s game. Kind of.
“I think I am surprised and not surprised,” he said. “Probably more amazed that he (Young) was unable to do anything on the training ground. And you see him working out when he can play slowly again, it’s amazing to me at his age how quickly he recovers and gets in shape. Their stamina and stamina are really impressive. There are certain guys who, when they get tired, have a great ability to overcome fatigue. He has this ability …
“He has a very, very unique game. Those little push shots and floaters and lefty flips, he’s a little unbalanced, but he has a great touch around the rim. And he’s a great passer. I thought he gave great passes to Gaff and Wendell. It was great to have him as an ace. We can find him in his pocket and he can play in the middle of the floor. “
Even missing Tomáš Satoranský, that veteran presence alongside Temple and Porter can still be a blessing for these young bulls.
“We are very proud. Garrett and Thad are both veterinarians. Both are experienced veterinarians. Denzel, he just comes in and plays his game. Me and all the other guys in the bank, we go in and do what we need to do, ”said Gafford. “We were locked up. We are ready. When it comes to taking responsibility and being able to play like we did tonight, it’s a big thing for the team ”.
This point becomes especially essential, given that the length of SatoranskyThe absences of, Markkanen, Ryan Arcidiacono and Chandler Hutchison remain in the air. Donovan confirmed that none of them would travel to Milwaukee for Friday’s fight with the Bucks. There is not much clarity in the past.
Supported by Donovan’s touch of the button, the Bulls will try to continue dealing with business in the meantime.
“We have a lot of potential. We just need to be stuck. We can pat ourselves on the back for this victory, but we have to be stuck because we will have another one tomorrow, ”said Gafford. “We went in and we had a business trip and we went 2 to 0”.
Reality soon calls in the form of Bucks.