'We've got to get into the paint': Bulls' Donovan says a return to the playoff starts there
There were no introductions necessary at Bulls Media Day.
That's reality, not a cliché.
Outside of Maywood native Jevon Carter and veteran forward Torrey Craig, the Bulls are essentially bringing back the exact same team that finished 40-42 last season. So an obvious starting point for this season is figuring out what changes might push this team into the playoffs.
The team's two stars gave their input Monday at the Advocate Center, which comes with the understanding no player is going to look around the room on Media Day and say, "We should have traded some of these guys."
"Sometimes you've got to fail as a group to understand what it takes to even win as a group," DeMar DeRozan said. "Sometimes you've got to hit the wall hard with a group to understand we are all going to help one another back up."
That sounds like a theme for the 1970s Bulls, which had a long run of losing in the first round of the playoffs with Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Norm Van Lier and company. That team eventually progressed to losing in the conference finals, after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson retired.
"If you don't believe in your group or your guys, you shouldn't show up," Zach LaVine said.
To his credit, coach Billy Donovan provided a plan on how the Bulls could improve. The defense was very good last season, with the Bulls ranking first in the league in defensive rating after Jan. 1.
That leaves offense as the main problem last year, but it was all relative. In 2021-22, the Bulls averaged 111.6 points, which ranked 13th in the NBA. Last year, they scored 113.1 points per game, but ranked 22nd. So while the Bulls got better, the rest of the league left them behind.
In effective field-goal percentage, they ranked 12th in the league. So they were efficient scorers but stood dead last in 3-point attempts at 28.9 per game. They were also 26th in free-throw attempts, so those are areas Donovan wants to improve.
"Our biggest challenge with this group is we've got to get into the paint," Donovan said. "We've got to do a better job spacing, a better job attacking the paint, because about 85% of your fouls are taking place inside the paint.
"It's the best opportunity to offensive rebound is on those shots. And then the third thing is those are where you get kick-out 3s. I think that's got to be a real focus for us."
DeRozan is best on the team at getting to the line. He ranked 14th in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game at 7.1, which was a drop from his stellar 2021-22 campaign when he was fifth. LaVine shot 5.6 free throws per contest, which was 28th in the league.
To find the third-ranked Bulls player in free throw attempts, you need to scroll through a few pages before finding Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond, tied for 179th place with 1.9 per game.
So this problem falls on everyone. LaVine has been trying to increase his trips to the line, but with a game hanging in the balance, driving to the hoop and then complaining about the lack of a foul call doesn't help the win column.
"We've not only got to play fast, but play with a purpose and get into situations where we have a mentality that is going to change our shot profile," Donovan said. "I think what changes our shot profile is how well we can attack the paint."
- The Bulls headed to Nashville after Media Day and will practice in Tennessee until Sunday's preseason opener at Milwaukee.
"We're looking to improve our team cohesion," vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. "Us going to Nashville and doing training camp there is going to be an opportunity for our guys to be together, eat, train. We're going to do some events there together, and it's a great opportunity for this group."
- The Bulls' additional training camp players are guards Max Heidegger and Quenton Jackson, along with forwards Terry Taylor and Henri Drell. The three two-way players are all forwards - Justin Lewis, who missed last season with a knee injury; Adama Sanogo from defending national champion Connecticut; and Turkey native Onuralp Bitim.
- Both DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine said they would play on the 2024 Olympic team if asked. LaVine was on the 2021 Olympic team, while DeRozan played in 2016.