Chicago Bulls: 3 positives to the Billy Donovan hire
By Jason Parini
Defensive importance
The Chicago Bulls haven’t had a solid defense since Kevin Garnett was in the league and Tom Thibodeaux was at the helm for the Bulls.
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Throughout all of Fred Hoiberg’s and Jim Boylen’s tenures, the Bulls were in the bottom half of the NBA defensive ratings every single year.
On the flip side, Donovan and the Thunder were in the top-ten in net defensive rating in every single season. That includes a top-three finish in his first year with the team. All that while competing in a very deep Western Conference.
A shift towards a more defensive mentality and a more complete team will be a huge step towards contention, and something that the Bulls have sorely missed since the departure of Tom Thibodeaux.
Perhaps the Bulls could even bring in former Defensive Player of the Year and two-time National Champion under Donovan, fan favorite Joakim Noah?
Though Noah wouldn’t contribute much on the court at 35 years old and having only played 129 games in the last five seasons, Noah could be an excellent mentor and locker room personality for the Bulls and their defense.
Regardless of whether or not Noah does return, Donovan is sure to bring an improvement on defense in some form or another.