LOS ANGELES – DeMar DeRozan knows a little bit about great coaches.
After all, the Bulls veteran was raised in the league by former Raptors coach Dwane Casey, and then spent a few seasons under the tutelage of future Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich.
Even in his 2016 Team USA experience, DeRozan was coached by Mike Krzyzewski, and worked with a staff made up of Jim Boeheim, Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams.
“I think I have an idea of what I’m talking about,’’ DeRozan said with a smirk, when discussing the coaching subject.
That’s also why DeRozan was a bit confused on why his current coach Billy Donovan is so “underappreciated.’’
While the All-Star forward isn’t a big social media guy, he’s heard some of the criticisms of Donovan expressed by the Bulls fan base, and set the record straight.
“Man, you know what’s crazy? He’s definitely underrated, underappreciated on the outside,’’ DeRozan said. “He’s easy going, and as much as he’s locked into the game and pays attention to the small things it’s incredible. His play-calling, his schemes, he puts a lot into the game that too many people don’t see.’’
The closest comparison DeRozan made to Donovan in the detail department? The time he spent with Thibodeau in the Olympics.
High praise considering Thibodeau’s reputation for not only knowing the tendencies of every NBA player, but as the Olympics showed DeRozan, “[Thibodeau] knew about players’ tendencies from places I’ve never heard of.’’
That’s also why DeRozan was so quick to praise his current coach.
“It’s always easy to criticize somebody when we don’t execute or make it go right, but he’s a helluva worker, a workaholic,’’ DeRozan said. “His IQ of the game is definitely there. To be honest, one of my favorite coaches of all time, and not just in the NBA, but going back to high school, college, wherever.’’
Not just an opinion shared by DeRozan, either.
Patrick Beverley didn’t know that much about Donovan before joining the Bulls, and has raved about the details in Donovan’s game planning.
In Beverley terms, “Billy’s got some sh-t.’’
What Donovan doesn’t have, however, is an ego.
Maybe that’s why the fan base hasn’t been all in on him. He’s not a self-promoter, and he’s not an over-the-top personality. A lot of his emotion is expressed behind closed doors.
Yet, the front office and ownership saw enough of Donovan in his first two years with the Bulls to extend him at the start of this season. Again, a move that was lukewarm with some of his critics.
Here’s what’s being missed, however. For this current core to be without Lonzo Ball throughout most of this two-season window, and have Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeRozan – not exactly considered defensive stoppers – currently playing defense at such a high level, it says something.
Donovan was given a very flawed roster. The Bulls lack outside shooting, rim protection, and before Beverley, were more likely to sing in the church choir than run through an opposing screen and put a guy on the ground.
Donovan finally has this group playing more to an identity. An identity that he can embrace.
“I like toughness, the competitiveness,’’ Donovan said of where his team currently stood. “To me, I love teams like that. People may have different opinions or perceptions of Patrick Beverley, but I love guys who are at 10. I had Joakim Noah [back in Florida], I had [Udonis] Haslem. I know they were college guys, but it was always at 10. There’s a lot of merit when you have guys like that over 82 games, that can come in and raise that intensity level. I think that’s what you have to do. The group has gotten better at some of that.’’
A solid assessment, but one that means very little if the Bulls don’t start having more success in the win-loss column.
That needs to be the next step for Donovan in this current coaching seat. He’s shown he can coach guys into doing things outside their comfort zone, but he also has to win more games.
Until that starts happening, criticism is warranted.
Just don’t try and convince DeRozan of that.
