(670 The Score) Before the Bulls dispatched the Wizards, 102-82, in an unaesthetically pleasing win Sunday afternoon at the United Center, coach Billy Donovan explained that in his three seasons in Chicago, never once has the topic of tanking come up in any of his discussions with the front office.
The line of questioning about weighing draft positioning against a push for the back end of the playoffs was broached in the context of the Bulls residing in what many view as no man’s land, as they continue to sit in 11th place in the East, just outside of the play-in picture that they’re trying to crash. The Bulls’ goal, as executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas stated after the trade deadline passed on Feb. 9, has been to reach the playoffs and make as much noise there as possible, even as everyone understands the team is nowhere close to championship contention. While a cynic might point out the motive for such a goal is for ownership to land additional revenue from a few home playoff games, in Donovan’s perspective, it can be traced to a desire to establish a winning culture and fulfill the spirit of the game.
“It has always been about the integrity of competition,” Donovan said of his big-picture talks with the front office. “It’s always been about that, just about going out there and doing the very best we can do as a group with a focus on getting the results that we want. I’ve never had a situation from ownership, the front office that has said, ‘Listen, we got an opportunity to potentially manipulate or get a higher draft pick. Let’s sit these guys. Let’s play the younger guys, give them an opportunity.’ That’s never taken place. I respect that and appreciate that. Because I do think that when you line up and play, there’s an integrity – and even to the fans – that you’re out there competing and trying to win.”
And so the Bulls did that Sunday against an offensively challenged, Kristaps Porzingis-less Wizards team. The two teams combined to shoot 14-of-58 (24.1%) on 3-pointers in a putrid display of offense, but given the state of their team, the Bulls can no longer care about style.
“We have to find ugly ways to win games,” Donovan said.
The victory was crucial for the Bulls’ push to land a play-in berth. With the win, Chicago (28-33) clawed within 0.5 games of Washington (28-32) for the 10th spot in the East, which represents the final of the four play-in tournament spots. Had the Bulls lost Sunday, they would’ve fallen 2.5 games behind the Wizards and also lost the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Now that the teams have split the season series 2-2, the Bulls have the inside track to earn the tiebreaker, which will be based on conference record. The Bulls have a 22-20 record in the East, while the Wizards are 15-19, which represents a large gap with only a quarter of a season left.
“We’re doing the right thing,” said Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who scored 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting. “We’re making each game count, throwing it all out there and playing for each other.”
As is the case in every sport, the decision for an organization to tank or compete at the highest level possible lies at the ownership and front office levels. Donovan and the players in the Bulls’ locker room aren’t preoccupied a bit by the team’s mathematical chance to land French sensation Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick, which currently sits at 7.5% as Chicago owns the seventh-worst record in the NBA.
Instead, their focus is on lowering that number to 0% by virtue of reaching the traditional playoff bracket, not just the play-in tournament. Whether it’s the proper decision for the organization is a topic of much external debate, but it’s a path that has never been deviated from if you’re to hear Donovan tell it.
“When you talk about winning and players in the locker room and even people that have come out and purchased and bought tickets, I think that they want to see putting our best foot forward, making decisions that are going to put the group and the team in the best place and position to win,” Donovan said. “But there’s never been anything of, ‘Listen, we’ve got these games and a potential pick here, we’re choosing this pick.’ That’s never happened at all.”
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
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