The Chicago Bulls are still coming to grips with new players following the NBA Trade Deadline. There are legitimate questions about the Bulls' intentions regarding their 14 second-round draft picks.
However, head coach Billy Donovan made sure to quell speculation that players are “auditioning”, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“I can see people on the outside, ‘Are they really trying to win? What’s with this group? . . . Who is going to be back? Who isn’t going to be back? Maybe these guys are auditioning, [or] they really don’t care.’ I still think, inside that locker room, these guys are professionals, and they don’t want to come in every day, work, try and buy in and [say], ‘OK, we’re just going to experiment with all this stuff.’ ”
Last week, the Bulls made significant roster changes. They traded away Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic, Dalen Terry, Kevin Huerter, and Jevon Carter. Therefore, adding further uncertainty to the team's direction.
The Bulls have a rude awakening ahead of them.
Donovan recognizes that the Bulls have an uphill battle ahead. They have fewer than 30 games after the All-Star weekend.
“I do think this group is going to hit the wall,” Donovan said. “Coming out of the All-Star break, what those last 27 games are going to look like for us physically is going to be a big factor.”
“There are guys with expiring contracts, some guys that want to play, so we’ve got to help each other, go out there and compete,” Donovan said.
“All that kind of stuff is important, so I’ve tried to redirect their focus onto that: ‘What do we got to do to get better as a team?’
On Monday, the Bulls sustained their 5th straight loss to the Brooklyn Nets 123-115.
