According to Billy Donovan, there was “no discussions’’ with his players to sit out the Wednesday game against the Kings, in the wake of the deadly protests at the Capital.
That doesn’t mean the Bulls coach didn’t have some important conversations with members of his coaching staff and his players about a day that Donovan called “disappointing for our country.’’
“Obviously I think it just goes to show that we have still a long way to go as a country,’’ Donovan said in a Zoom call. “Certainly extremely disappointing with what took place. Again, I, with a back-to-back and film, staff meetings, players, I haven’t seen enough television or read enough, but obviously I was updated on the events by staff and coaches and players.
“And, you know, we just, I thought the players in the [Orlando] bubble did a really, really good job just bringing awareness to a lot of the social injustice issues that we need to address and get better at. And I think this is a situation for me where we’ve got to be better. And there’s times I think we feel like we maybe make some steps moving forward, and there’s other times, things that happen here [Wednesday] are disappointing for our country, and shows we still have a ways to go, and the only way we’re going to move forward is if we move forward together. Events like that don’t allow us to do those things.’’
NBA players have been front and center on social injustice issues since last season, especially when the season resumed in Orlando.
One of them was Chris Paul, who Donovan coached in the bubble when he was still with Oklahoma City.
Admittedly, Donovan said he learned a lot from Paul, and still has a lot to learn.
“Being with Chris Paul, who is the president of the Players’ Association, and what the players did in the bubble in terms of bringing awareness to a lot of these social injustice issues, listening to peoples’ experiences and talking about those things, it brings it to at least a point where you have an understanding of what somebody has been through,’’ Donovan said. “[Bulls assistant coach] Mo Cheeks has an incredible story, it’s a sad story, and he’s the greatest guy in the world, and to have him go through that, I just don’t think anyone in our country in 2021 should be living in fear. That’s the unfortunate part.
“So I think the discussions are important, you have to have it, and you have to listen. I think that’s really important is to listen and to hear, and to try and understand.’’
Negative thoughts
While Lauri Markkanen and Ryan Arcidiacono are still in the NBA health and safety protocol, Donovan said they continue to test negative for the coronavirus.
Now the Bulls are working with the league to try and figure out a plan to at least get them in the facility and get some work in, while the rest of the team is on the West Coast.
“[We’re] trying to work with the league to try to figure out a way that we can somehow get these guys in position that they can at least start to work out and start to ramp back up some things,’’ Donovan said.
Markkanen and Arcidiacono, along with Tomas Satoransky, went into the protocol last week after Chandler Hutchison turned up positive. Satoransky eventually went positive, with all four players staying off this current trip.
There was a scenario in which Markkanen and Arcidiacono could rejoin the team in Los Angeles, but that has now been ruled out.
