Bulls guard Josh Giddey addressed the team’s recent front office shakeup on Friday, offering a measured response following the dismissals of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Giddey, who has been sidelined for the past week with a hamstring injury and is missing the final five games of the season, said he understood the business side of the decision while expressing appreciation for the former executives.
He also made it clear where he stands on head coach Billy Donovan, whose future remains uncertain pending a meeting with ownership.
“He’s been awesome,” Giddey said. “I’ve loved him ever since I got here. He’s been very straightforward, and I think all the guys would say the same thing. He’s very direct. He tells you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear, and he gives it to you straight. He coaches hard; he wants to win every game. You see how competitive he is on the sidelines. I couldn’t speak highly enough about him. I hope he’s here for a long time.”
Giddey described his own season as “OK, up and down,” adding that his focus moving forward is on contributing more to winning.
“I’ve got to find ways to impact winning, and that’s probably the next step for me as a player,” he said.
Second-year forward Matas Buzelis echoed that support for Donovan. Buzelis said he reached out to his coach after learning of the front office changes.
“I told him ‘I hope you don’t leave. I’m riding with you forever. You’re a cornerstone for my career,’” Buzelis said.
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