(670 The Score) With a guard-heavy roster and a collection of veterans with uncertain futures and youngsters still looking to prove themselves, Bulls coach Billy Donovan continues to stress to his team to play at a quicker pace and increase its 3-point shooting volume.
With that in mind, Donovan plans to use a 10-man rotation and would like to cycle in substitutes more quickly than he has in recent years.
“With the way we’re trying to play, as fast as we’re trying to play, we’re going to need to have a rotation of about 10,” Donovan said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Tuesday morning. “At times, I’ve had a rotations of nine generally, but for us, I think we’re going to have to go to 10.
“As fast as we’re trying to play, I don’t know if guys are going to be able to play a rotation (stint) of nine or 10 or 11 minutes. Because that’s a long time to absorb that kind of intensity level, to play at that intensity level. So that’s why I think the 10th person can help.”
With star forward DeMar DeRozan having left for the Kings in free agency in the offseason, the Bulls will look stylistically different on the offensive end. With DeRozan in the fold, the Bulls usually played at a methodical pace as he operated from the elbows.
Now, Donovan believes his team can push the pace more and drive-and-kick to create more frequent 3-point looks. The Bulls attempted nearly 48 3-pointers per game in the preseason, a big uptick over the 32.1 attempts per game from long range last season.
“For us and our team, we’re not going to be the biggest, the strongest, the most physical,” Donovan said. “But what we’ve got to be is we’ve got to be in elite shape, and we’ve got to be able to run.
“We’re going to have to play fast, and we’re going to have to be able to try to win the free-throw line to free-throw line (sprint). There’s going to be times where athletically and physically, we don’t have the length and the size to deal with certain teams and we’ve got to do it through conditioning and trying to wear teams down and just being in physically great shape.”
The Bulls open the regular season by visiting the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The game can be heard on 670 The Score, with pregame coverage starting at 6:45 p.m.
“These guys have really put themselves in a position where they’re in really, really good shape, and I think we’ve gotten better at how we want to play,” Donovan said.