[2级]‘An easy decision’: First impressions of new Bulls coach Billy Donovan由JabariIverson 发表在翻译团招工部 https://bbs.hupu.com/fyt-store
After the deal was done, after Billy Donovan was signed, sealed and on his way to Chicago, Arturas Karnisovas couldn’t stop smiling.
“From the moment we agreed on a deal,” the Bulls EVP of basketball operations said on a video call with reporters Thursday.
It sufficed as Donovan’s introductory press conference, his “Welcome to Chicago” moment. Only he was calling in from his home in Florida. But even from 1,000 miles away, Karnisovas couldn’t stop gushing about his new head coach.
“Once he became available,” Karnisovas said, “we were relentless in terms of trying to find ways to continue communication and prove to Billy that we are the spot for him.”
Read that as a reminder of the caliber of coach who is arriving. Donovan never applied for the job. The job found him.
“His record speaks for itself, so he didn’t have to prove to us that he’s capable of building a program to make it successful,” Karnisovas said. “I think just looking at his résumé you can say that.”
Donovan’s five-year stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder might be viewed by some fans negatively, like an assignment left undone, but his name still carries enormous weight in basketball circles. Karnisovas made as much clear during the video call, and details of Donovan’s lucrative contract leaking shortly after revealed exactly how much juice Donovan’s still got. For the many ways Donovan and the Bulls can spin it, Donovan is here because the organization stepped up and showed its commitment to building a winner. It’s a commitment that carries a premium price tag of $6 million per season over the next four years, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, which immediately removed all wonder why Karnisovas doubled down in his thanks to team ownership.
“I’m really proud of the fact that Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf were able to give us that opportunity to land a coach of this caliber, and I’m looking forward to working with Billy,” Karnisovas said.
As expected, Donovan didn’t make any bold declarations on day one. That’s not his style no matter the day. As Karnisovas put it, Donovan is about the journey and the people he’s on it with.
“It always starts with really having good people,” Donovan said. “I’ve always felt like that. I had that at Florida. I was fortunate to have that at Oklahoma City.”
Now the Bulls believe they’ve got a good one in Donovan.
“This is an opportunity for our organization to walk alongside a great coach who brings tremendous leadership to the table and to build a foundation for a sustainable program that Bulls fans can be proud of,” Karnisovas said.
“It was an easy decision to land on Billy.”
Here are some early impressions of Donovan.
He values partnerships
On a day intended to introduce Donovan, we actually learned more about Karnisovas.
What became crystal clear, as previously reported, is that it was Karnisovas who landed Donovan. Yes, money mattered. And the iconic Bulls brand that Donovan raved about didn’t hurt. Nor did his transfer to Chicago, which Donovan described as a great city with great fans. But make no mistake, Karnisovas was the driving force who allowed the Bulls to pull up and park at Donovan’s table.
Donovan didn’t have a previous working relationship with Karnisovas or anyone else in the Bulls’ new-look front office. He had only a few mutual connections — longtime coach P.J. Carlesimo, who coached Karnisovas at Seton Hall, and USA Men’s National Team director Sean Ford. One person close to Donovan called Karnisovas “a stud.”
“To listen to people talk about Arturas as a man, and as a person, and as an executive, I got incredible feedback,” Donovan said. “So just the conversations we had just off the start was really important to me because I wanted be in a situation where everybody is rowing the boat in the same direction, everybody is pulling together, everybody is working for the same cause, there’s a lot of really good dialogue and communication, and I think as a coach you are a part of it. You’re a part of it all the way through from top to bottom, and I think Arturas was looking for that, looking to partner with somebody as a coach to try and continue to develop and build the program.”
Donovan grew a reputation in Oklahoma City of actively engaging in free-agent conversations with management and traveling near and far for pitch meetings with prospective players. Given how much Karnisovas covets alignment, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see Donovan having similar involvement with the Bulls’ front office. Donovan, with his success in college and the NBA and the scores of former players he has sprinkled over pro leagues everywhere, almost certainly would give the Bulls an advantage. He brings instant credibility, has the respect of players.
“I want to be partnered with somebody,” Donovan said. “And I want to work and build together and have good dialogue and good communication and work very closely together and be involved with each other at every possible level of the organization. I really appreciated that. That’s really what it came down to for me.”
Donovan downplayed the narrative that he fled Oklahoma City because of the Thunder’s uncertain future, which appears on track for a rebuild.
“Those are things that were put out there about how I felt about a rebuild or not a rebuild, or that I was looking for a ready-made team,” he said. “That was never really what it was about it for me. It was a lot more important for me, knowing my time had ended there, what was going to be the environment, the situation going forward. And I’ve never really ever talked about that at all.”
He hopes his experience has made him better
Outside of basketball circles, Donovan might be the most disrespected two-time national champion-winning coach alive.
When he took over the Thunder five years ago, the question was “Can he make the leap?” He did so seamlessly and critics screamed, “Of course he did, he had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Chris Paul!” Now, the questions are whether he can replicate his success without superstar talent, and if he’s a better coach now than when he became a first-time NBA coach out of the college ranks.
Donovan has never dodged any of the questions.
“The truth of the matter is it was an adjustment for me,” Donovan said. “I was very blessed and fortunate that I had really good support around me to help me continue to grow out, build out and have so much of a better understanding today than maybe I did five years ago.”
In 2015, Donovan’s head was spinning with getting down the basics. The NBA game was different. The rules weren’t the same. The rhythm of a pro season rocked his sensibilities. In college, practice was at 3. In the league, it’s at 11. There are twice the games, more intricate scouting reports, and it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
“I was really fortunate, coming into Oklahoma City, that the players were very patient with me,” Donovan said. “The players were great.”
It’s become easy for the same critics who initially questioned Donovan’s aptitude for the pro game to circle back with Donovan fresh off four consecutive first-round exits in spite of all that star power. In Donovan’s first year, more commonly referred to as Durant’s last, the Thunder held a 3-1 series lead over Golden State in the 2016 Western Conference finals. Few remember how Donovan had that team rolling up to that point. Everyone knows the Thunder went on to lose the series and Durant.
It’s a fascinating position for such an accomplished coach beginning a new chapter. While a certain segment questions Donovan’s coaching, there’s another school of thought that suggests the Bulls might just be getting him when he’s the best he’s been. For his part, Donovan seeks to build strength from his setbacks.
“I would hope that every year I’ve gone by as a coach that I’ve found ways to get better and improve,” he said. “I know we’re in a results-orientated business, but sometimes you can look at the results at the end of the year and say, ‘Well, a player or a coach didn’t get better or they didn’t improve.’ A lot of the times, it’s your experiences that help you improve and grow. So to me, I hope I’m better. I don’t know how you equate that and what that looks like. I’ve obviously gotten much, much more experience coaching in the NBA. But I’ve always tried to just find ways through my experience to try to get better and improve.”
He has a tried and true player development philosophy
Karnisovas confirmed previously reported detail about how the Bulls became enamored with Donovan during his surprise playoff run with the Thunder. When many observers predicted the Thunder would plummet from postseason contention, Donovan guided yet another retooled Oklahoma City franchise to the West’s fifth seed.
“From meeting with Billy and watching him coach last year, I think it’s one of the most impressive jobs he did was last year,” Karnisovas said. “His ability to adapt, to adjust, to change things, based on his roster and what he has was really impressive, regardless of the turnover.”
Donovan had a different nucleus in each of his five seasons with the Thunder. He still averaged 48.6 wins, made the postseason each year and was instrumental in the development of Andre Roberson, Steven Adams, Jerami Grant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley and Lu Dort.
So what’s Donovan’s secret?
Well, he says it starts with his friend, former coach, boss and mentor Rick Pitino. Donovan called Pitino “maybe the greatest player development coach in the world.” Donovan played for Pitino at Providence and briefly with the Knicks before coaching with him in a player development role as an assistant at Kentucky. In other words, Donovan learned a lot.
“The first thing I’ll do is watch a lot of film,” Donovan said.
Any good coach must know his or her subject. From there, Donovan likes to cozy up to his players. Get to know them, their desires, their goals. How do they prefer to be used in the offense? Which situations do they feel are most effective? What sets make them comfortable?
Like Karnisovas before him, Donovan emphasized first building relationships with players. Building trust, then chemistry, then a bond, Donovan said, compels players to compete not only for themselves but for each other.
“We’re going to try to do right by the players in terms of trying to put them in the best position to continue to grow and develop and be successful,” Donovan said. “So I think that’s the number one thing for me, and then strategizing out style of play, how we need to play, how we need to utilize everybody.”
It all starts with getting the group comfortable, and Donovan seems to be a natural.
“With all of our research and background gathering, certain things emerged regarding coach Donovan,” Karnisovas said. “The most impressive being the relationships he’s built with players, coaches and (executives) that have worked with him over the years. He has built a reputation around the league as someone who values others and has a great passion for growing and developing players.”
He’ll be flexible with his system and playing style
There are principles Donovan has trumpeted for ages.
Ball movement. Player movement. Extra pass.
“The end result is how good of shots can you create on a nightly basis?” Donovan said. “That’s what you’ve got to be able to do is create good shots. And how you go about doing that utilizing each guy’s skill set. The same thing defensively.”
Donovan reiterated that he first must dive into film and have those pivotal discussions with his players before settling on a philosophy. Relax, folks. He just got the job. He’s got a lot on his plate. A system will be installed.
But you can bet Donovan will refrain from being rigid. He had to rework his game plans to accommodate vastly different personnel in each of his five seasons with the Thunder. And he isn’t likely to arrive in Chicago forcing players to fit his preferred style.
“Really getting to know the guys to me is the most important thing to develop that relationship and that trust in an environment where we’re all working together and pulling together,” Donovan said.
“There’s going to be a level of sacrifice by every player. Every player is not going to have the chance to do everything that they want to do. But how do you mesh all of those guys together to get the whole to be better than the sum of the parts as a team? That would be my philosophy going forward.”
He needs a staff around him
It will be interesting to see what Donovan does to complete his staff. He has 30 years’ worth of relationships he can tap into, but he never fully had the chance to surround himself with his selections in Oklahoma City. There, he inherited some bench coaches and enjoyed relative staff continuity.
Will the Bulls give Donovan carte blanche to choose his staff? Who would Donovan flank himself with if they do?
“I think that’s something Arturas and I have been talking about and working on,” Donovan said. “Obviously, there are staff members there that are still with the Bulls. I also think the other piece of it too with our staff is how do we build out the best staff that I can work with? They can work with me, work with Arturas. So that’s something we’re certainly going to look at from top to bottom, not only maybe around the league but certainly the coaches that are in Chicago right now. I look forward to talking with those guys and having some conversations. Arturas will be part of that. We’ll work together on that. The biggest focus for us right now is how do we put together the best group that we can put together to help the players.”
Maurice Cheeks has been floated as a possibility, and the Chicago native and Hall of Fame guard makes sense for many reasons. He’s served as Donovan’s right-hand man for the past five seasons, and he has head coaching experience with Philadelphia, Portland and Detroit. In Oklahoma City, Cheeks developed a reputation as the Westbrook whisperer, helping develop the former MVP and keep him in check whenever he threatened to storm off-script. Cheeks could be a terrific mentor for Coby White.
He has no timeline for getting the Bulls back to relevance
There’s a ton of positive momentum rolling the Bulls in the right direction. They have well-respected new management, a proven new coach, a talented core, the fourth overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft and cap space to play with starting next offseason.
“We have a lot — from picks to cap space in the future — to build this team,” Karnisovas said. “So on both sides, I think there was a lot of optimism.”
Yet when Donovan was asked about his expectations, specifically when exactly he envisions the turning point arriving for this franchise, he expertly swatted down the question. Donovan simply doesn’t operate that way. His goal is a simple one: get better every day.
“I’ve never been a guy that’s come in with, like, this is a two-year plan, this is a three-year plan, this is a four-year plan,” he said. “I’ve never done that. I’ve always tried to take the approach of how do we get better today? How do we maximize today? How do we improve today? And it’s never going to be on a linear, just upward trend all the time.
“I think that the plan would be, how do we create a culture and an environment and a situation where that culture and environment is sustainable over a long period of time. And you’re doing those things. And you have standards you want to play to. And I think when you’re not meeting those standards then you know you’re not really working toward building what you want to build.”
After the deal was done, after Billy Donovan was signed, sealed and on his way to Chicago, Arturas Karnisovas couldn’t stop smiling.
“From the moment we agreed on a deal,” the Bulls EVP of basketball operations said on a video call with reporters Thursday.
It sufficed as Donovan’s introductory press conference, his “Welcome to Chicago” moment. Only he was calling in from his home in Florida. But even from 1,000 miles away, Karnisovas couldn’t stop gushing about his new head coach.
“Once he became available,” Karnisovas said, “we were relentless in terms of trying to find ways to continue communication and prove to Billy that we are the spot for him.”
Read that as a reminder of the caliber of coach who is arriving. Donovan never applied for the job. The job found him.
“His record speaks for itself, so he didn’t have to prove to us that he’s capable of building a program to make it successful,” Karnisovas said. “I think just looking at his résumé you can say that.”
Donovan’s five-year stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder might be viewed by some fans negatively, like an assignment left undone, but his name still carries enormous weight in basketball circles. Karnisovas made as much clear during the video call, and details of Donovan’s lucrative contract leaking shortly after revealed exactly how much juice Donovan’s still got. For the many ways Donovan and the Bulls can spin it, Donovan is here because the organization stepped up and showed its commitment to building a winner. It’s a commitment that carries a premium price tag of $6 million per season over the next four years, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, which immediately removed all wonder why Karnisovas doubled down in his thanks to team ownership.
“I’m really proud of the fact that Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf were able to give us that opportunity to land a coach of this caliber, and I’m looking forward to working with Billy,” Karnisovas said.
As expected, Donovan didn’t make any bold declarations on day one. That’s not his style no matter the day. As Karnisovas put it, Donovan is about the journey and the people he’s on it with.
“It always starts with really having good people,” Donovan said. “I’ve always felt like that. I had that at Florida. I was fortunate to have that at Oklahoma City.”
Now the Bulls believe they’ve got a good one in Donovan.
“This is an opportunity for our organization to walk alongside a great coach who brings tremendous leadership to the table and to build a foundation for a sustainable program that Bulls fans can be proud of,” Karnisovas said.
“It was an easy decision to land on Billy.”
Here are some early impressions of Donovan.
He values partnerships
On a day intended to introduce Donovan, we actually learned more about Karnisovas.
What became crystal clear, as previously reported, is that it was Karnisovas who landed Donovan. Yes, money mattered. And the iconic Bulls brand that Donovan raved about didn’t hurt. Nor did his transfer to Chicago, which Donovan described as a great city with great fans. But make no mistake, Karnisovas was the driving force who allowed the Bulls to pull up and park at Donovan’s table.
Donovan didn’t have a previous working relationship with Karnisovas or anyone else in the Bulls’ new-look front office. He had only a few mutual connections — longtime coach P.J. Carlesimo, who coached Karnisovas at Seton Hall, and USA Men’s National Team director Sean Ford. One person close to Donovan called Karnisovas “a stud.”
“To listen to people talk about Arturas as a man, and as a person, and as an executive, I got incredible feedback,” Donovan said. “So just the conversations we had just off the start was really important to me because I wanted be in a situation where everybody is rowing the boat in the same direction, everybody is pulling together, everybody is working for the same cause, there’s a lot of really good dialogue and communication, and I think as a coach you are a part of it. You’re a part of it all the way through from top to bottom, and I think Arturas was looking for that, looking to partner with somebody as a coach to try and continue to develop and build the program.”
Donovan grew a reputation in Oklahoma City of actively engaging in free-agent conversations with management and traveling near and far for pitch meetings with prospective players. Given how much Karnisovas covets alignment, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see Donovan having similar involvement with the Bulls’ front office. Donovan, with his success in college and the NBA and the scores of former players he has sprinkled over pro leagues everywhere, almost certainly would give the Bulls an advantage. He brings instant credibility, has the respect of players.
“I want to be partnered with somebody,” Donovan said. “And I want to work and build together and have good dialogue and good communication and work very closely together and be involved with each other at every possible level of the organization. I really appreciated that. That’s really what it came down to for me.”
Donovan downplayed the narrative that he fled Oklahoma City because of the Thunder’s uncertain future, which appears on track for a rebuild.
“Those are things that were put out there about how I felt about a rebuild or not a rebuild, or that I was looking for a ready-made team,” he said. “That was never really what it was about it for me. It was a lot more important for me, knowing my time had ended there, what was going to be the environment, the situation going forward. And I’ve never really ever talked about that at all.”
He hopes his experience has made him better
Outside of basketball circles, Donovan might be the most disrespected two-time national champion-winning coach alive.
When he took over the Thunder five years ago, the question was “Can he make the leap?” He did so seamlessly and critics screamed, “Of course he did, he had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Chris Paul!” Now, the questions are whether he can replicate his success without superstar talent, and if he’s a better coach now than when he became a first-time NBA coach out of the college ranks.
Donovan has never dodged any of the questions.
“The truth of the matter is it was an adjustment for me,” Donovan said. “I was very blessed and fortunate that I had really good support around me to help me continue to grow out, build out and have so much of a better understanding today than maybe I did five years ago.”
In 2015, Donovan’s head was spinning with getting down the basics. The NBA game was different. The rules weren’t the same. The rhythm of a pro season rocked his sensibilities. In college, practice was at 3. In the league, it’s at 11. There are twice the games, more intricate scouting reports, and it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
“I was really fortunate, coming into Oklahoma City, that the players were very patient with me,” Donovan said. “The players were great.”
It’s become easy for the same critics who initially questioned Donovan’s aptitude for the pro game to circle back with Donovan fresh off four consecutive first-round exits in spite of all that star power. In Donovan’s first year, more commonly referred to as Durant’s last, the Thunder held a 3-1 series lead over Golden State in the 2016 Western Conference finals. Few remember how Donovan had that team rolling up to that point. Everyone knows the Thunder went on to lose the series and Durant.
It’s a fascinating position for such an accomplished coach beginning a new chapter. While a certain segment questions Donovan’s coaching, there’s another school of thought that suggests the Bulls might just be getting him when he’s the best he’s been. For his part, Donovan seeks to build strength from his setbacks.
“I would hope that every year I’ve gone by as a coach that I’ve found ways to get better and improve,” he said. “I know we’re in a results-orientated business, but sometimes you can look at the results at the end of the year and say, ‘Well, a player or a coach didn’t get better or they didn’t improve.’ A lot of the times, it’s your experiences that help you improve and grow. So to me, I hope I’m better. I don’t know how you equate that and what that looks like. I’ve obviously gotten much, much more experience coaching in the NBA. But I’ve always tried to just find ways through my experience to try to get better and improve.”
He has a tried and true player development philosophy
Karnisovas confirmed previously reported detail about how the Bulls became enamored with Donovan during his surprise playoff run with the Thunder. When many observers predicted the Thunder would plummet from postseason contention, Donovan guided yet another retooled Oklahoma City franchise to the West’s fifth seed.
“From meeting with Billy and watching him coach last year, I think it’s one of the most impressive jobs he did was last year,” Karnisovas said. “His ability to adapt, to adjust, to change things, based on his roster and what he has was really impressive, regardless of the turnover.”
Donovan had a different nucleus in each of his five seasons with the Thunder. He still averaged 48.6 wins, made the postseason each year and was instrumental in the development of Andre Roberson, Steven Adams, Jerami Grant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley and Lu Dort.
So what’s Donovan’s secret?
Well, he says it starts with his friend, former coach, boss and mentor Rick Pitino. Donovan called Pitino “maybe the greatest player development coach in the world.” Donovan played for Pitino at Providence and briefly with the Knicks before coaching with him in a player development role as an assistant at Kentucky. In other words, Donovan learned a lot.
“The first thing I’ll do is watch a lot of film,” Donovan said.
Any good coach must know his or her subject. From there, Donovan likes to cozy up to his players. Get to know them, their desires, their goals. How do they prefer to be used in the offense? Which situations do they feel are most effective? What sets make them comfortable?
Like Karnisovas before him, Donovan emphasized first building relationships with players. Building trust, then chemistry, then a bond, Donovan said, compels players to compete not only for themselves but for each other.
“We’re going to try to do right by the players in terms of trying to put them in the best position to continue to grow and develop and be successful,” Donovan said. “So I think that’s the number one thing for me, and then strategizing out style of play, how we need to play, how we need to utilize everybody.”
It all starts with getting the group comfortable, and Donovan seems to be a natural.
“With all of our research and background gathering, certain things emerged regarding coach Donovan,” Karnisovas said. “The most impressive being the relationships he’s built with players, coaches and (executives) that have worked with him over the years. He has built a reputation around the league as someone who values others and has a great passion for growing and developing players.”
He’ll be flexible with his system and playing style
There are principles Donovan has trumpeted for ages.
Ball movement. Player movement. Extra pass.
“The end result is how good of shots can you create on a nightly basis?” Donovan said. “That’s what you’ve got to be able to do is create good shots. And how you go about doing that utilizing each guy’s skill set. The same thing defensively.”
Donovan reiterated that he first must dive into film and have those pivotal discussions with his players before settling on a philosophy. Relax, folks. He just got the job. He’s got a lot on his plate. A system will be installed.
But you can bet Donovan will refrain from being rigid. He had to rework his game plans to accommodate vastly different personnel in each of his five seasons with the Thunder. And he isn’t likely to arrive in Chicago forcing players to fit his preferred style.
“Really getting to know the guys to me is the most important thing to develop that relationship and that trust in an environment where we’re all working together and pulling together,” Donovan said.
“There’s going to be a level of sacrifice by every player. Every player is not going to have the chance to do everything that they want to do. But how do you mesh all of those guys together to get the whole to be better than the sum of the parts as a team? That would be my philosophy going forward.”
He needs a staff around him
It will be interesting to see what Donovan does to complete his staff. He has 30 years’ worth of relationships he can tap into, but he never fully had the chance to surround himself with his selections in Oklahoma City. There, he inherited some bench coaches and enjoyed relative staff continuity.
Will the Bulls give Donovan carte blanche to choose his staff? Who would Donovan flank himself with if they do?
“I think that’s something Arturas and I have been talking about and working on,” Donovan said. “Obviously, there are staff members there that are still with the Bulls. I also think the other piece of it too with our staff is how do we build out the best staff that I can work with? They can work with me, work with Arturas. So that’s something we’re certainly going to look at from top to bottom, not only maybe around the league but certainly the coaches that are in Chicago right now. I look forward to talking with those guys and having some conversations. Arturas will be part of that. We’ll work together on that. The biggest focus for us right now is how do we put together the best group that we can put together to help the players.”
Maurice Cheeks has been floated as a possibility, and the Chicago native and Hall of Fame guard makes sense for many reasons. He’s served as Donovan’s right-hand man for the past five seasons, and he has head coaching experience with Philadelphia, Portland and Detroit. In Oklahoma City, Cheeks developed a reputation as the Westbrook whisperer, helping develop the former MVP and keep him in check whenever he threatened to storm off-script. Cheeks could be a terrific mentor for Coby White.
He has no timeline for getting the Bulls back to relevance
There’s a ton of positive momentum rolling the Bulls in the right direction. They have well-respected new management, a proven new coach, a talented core, the fourth overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft and cap space to play with starting next offseason.
“We have a lot — from picks to cap space in the future — to build this team,” Karnisovas said. “So on both sides, I think there was a lot of optimism.”
Yet when Donovan was asked about his expectations, specifically when exactly he envisions the turning point arriving for this franchise, he expertly swatted down the question. Donovan simply doesn’t operate that way. His goal is a simple one: get better every day.
“I’ve never been a guy that’s come in with, like, this is a two-year plan, this is a three-year plan, this is a four-year plan,” he said. “I’ve never done that. I’ve always tried to take the approach of how do we get better today? How do we maximize today? How do we improve today? And it’s never going to be on a linear, just upward trend all the time.
“I think that the plan would be, how do we create a culture and an environment and a situation where that culture and environment is sustainable over a long period of time. And you’re doing those things. And you have standards you want to play to. And I think when you’re not meeting those standards then you know you’re not really working toward building what you want to build.”
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