Arturas Karnisovas has used the word “change’’ frequently since he was hired as the new Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations at the start of the offseason.
He used it when he fired former general manager Gar Forman, hired Marc Eversley to fill that vacated office, and again when he dismissed Jim Boylen as head coach last month.
Always reminding the media he was “hired to affect change.’’
That continued to ring true in seismic proportions on Tuesday, as Karnisovas showed this isn’t the same old Bulls, grabbing the most experienced, well-regarded coach on the open market in Billy Donovan.
“We are very pleased to welcome Billy and his family to the Chicago Bulls,’’ Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said on Tuesday. “The success that he has sustained over the course of his coaching career puts him on a different level. We feel his ability to help his players reach their potential, both individually and collectively, will mesh well with our roster. Whether as a player or as a coach, he has won everywhere his career has taken him, and we hope that will continue here in Chicago.’’
That go big or go home attitude from this new regime has been hinted, but the hiring of Donovan was further proof that this isn’t just talk.
Not from Karnisovas and definitely not from COO Michael Reinsdorf, who has continued admitting that while the team has been watching finances on the business side of the franchise, the basketball side has been given an open checkbook to build a foundation that will hopefully return the Bulls to a championship-caliber level.
“I want to thank Jerry [Reinsdorf], Michael, Arturas and Marc for the opportunity to coach the Chicago Bulls,’’ Donovan, who will meet with the media at a later date, said in a statement. “I also want to thank them for the time and effort they put into this hiring process. I’m excited to partner with Arturas as we work together on behalf of this historic franchise.’’
In nabbing the 55-year-old Donovan, the Bulls scooped up the coach less than a month after he and Oklahoma City had a parting of ways.
With the Thunder he put together a record of 243-157 (.608) and made five consecutive trips to the playoffs. His winning percentage ranks 16th (a minimum of 100 games) in NBA history, and trails only Nick Nurse (.721), Steve Kerr (.709) and Gregg Popovich (.675) among active coaches.
Karnisovas wanted a coach that understood player development and communication, and Donovan checked both of those boxes. Just ask former Bull Joakim Noah, who played for Donovan back at Florida.
“I think Coach Donovan is somebody who cares about his players, but really cares about his guys,’’ Noah told ESPN back in 2015. “I know that if something ever happened to me, I know that he would be there for me, and that’s a great feeling. I always felt like it was more than basketball with Coach Donovan.
“He’s the best coach that I ever had. I got nothing but love for him. I have nothing bad to say about him. I think that he’s somebody who has great balance in his life ... we’re very similar in a lot of ways in terms of competitiveness. But very different, as well. I love the guy.’’
Karnisovas is banking on the current roster feeling the same way about the new head coach, especially with a voluntary mini-camp currently going on and scrimmages starting on Wednesday.
What can’t be ignored, however, is Karnisovas has been deliberate in this take-over, but also bold in his early hires.
He wanted change, and change is happening.
