Billy Donovan still doesn’t know what his starting lineup will look like when the regular season tips off at the United Center on Wednesday night.
The Bulls’ new coach isn’t certain how the rotations will line up or what personnel might be used to close games.
Heck, the NBA coronavirus protocols mean Donovan isn’t sure which players he’ll have available by Wednesday.
He does know that uncertainty is common throughout the NBA, and few teams will be immune from that.
“I’m trying to keep an open mind,” Donovan said Sunday. “I mean, I don’t know where Thad [Young] is going to end up being on opening night, I don’t know where Sato [Tomas Satoransky] is going to be opening night. We could have some guys potentially just not available, so you could go in with some kind of plan but you don’t know if you’re necessarily able to stick to it.’’
He could count on some things during the preseason. Second-year guard Coby White was his starting point guard, teamed alongside Zach LaVine in his backcourt. The frontcourt mainstays were Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.
That’s likely not changing by Game 1.
The indecision seems to be at small forward, weighing Otto Porter Jr. or rookie Patrick Williams.
Porter started the first two games against Houston, with Williams starting the two games in Oklahoma City. Both players had their moments, and both have different skillsets that have to be evaluated to see how they fit with the other pieces — once Donovan knows which pieces he has.
Veteran combo guard Garrett Temple returned from his battle with the coronavirus, practicing with the team for the first time Sunday. Satoransky has been excused from the team with no clear explanation offered, and Young is still dealing with a left leg infection, but was improving.
Then there’s Denzel Valentine, who had been sidelined with a sore hamstring. The versatile forward had been rehabbing the last week, but went through the full practice with no setbacks.
Donovan has two practices left to study different combinations.
“Getting Garrett back and looking at him, because he’s a bigger guard and can do a lot of different things,’’ Donovan said of the scenarios he was weighing. “You’re also weighing the groups and players that are trying to play together, and I don’t know if we necessarily have enough of a sample size to sit there and say, ‘Hey, I’m really comfortable with these lineups,’ because there’s probably more we’re going to have to see as we go through the course of the season.’’
It will be a season that will test everyone throughout the league.
“It’s going to be tough, man,’’ Temple said. “It’s so much different than the bubble. There are so many extenuating circumstances, so many outside influences. I think we’re going learn. Everybody’s going to learn on the fly.’’
