Ideally, Billy Donovan would love a closing five to end ballgames with.
This season, however, has been less than ideal.
Injuries, a trade deadline that brought in five new faces, and now only 14 regular-season games remaining, it’s a throw whatever you have to out there mentality for the Bulls coach.
Don’t expect that change with Zach LaVine sidelined, and a frontcourt made up of very versatile pieces.
“When you look at the last time we played Cleveland [last Saturday], we closed with Lauri [Markkanen],’’ Donovan said. “The Boston game [on Monday] we closed with [Daniel] Theis. Some of it is matchups, some of it is just going off my gut. I know I’m not always going to be perfect or right all the time, but just try and read the game and make those decisions.’’
It’s those frontcourt decisions that have been the toughest for Donovan, and the spot he will continue juggling based on how guys are playing, as well as the opponent. He did say that he looks at the analytics of different groups before games, but in the heat of the final minutes of a game, gut and the eye test carry more weight.
“We don’t necessarily have a closing group because there’s guys on our team that provide different things,’’ Donovan said. “Lauri can really, really stretch the floor, Daniel gives us some physicality, a presence at the basket, rebounding. Thad [Young] has always been very unique, he’s closed games quite a bit for us.’’
Horns down
Besides still being without LaVine, the Bulls were also without Troy Brown Jr., after the wing twisted his ankle in the second half of the Boston game and never returned.
The good news was Donovan didn’t see it being a long-term injury for Brown, calling him “doubtful’’ for the game against the Hornets on Thursday, and then re-evaluated for the road trip.
Brown, who was acquired in the three-team trade with Washington and Boston at the deadline, has proven to be a valuable reserve for Donovan, especially on the defensive end, and was averaging 19 minutes per contest over his last 10 games.
Cavs Note
Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff missed the game with the Bulls, dealing with personal reasons, according to the team.
