Bulls Coach Billy Donovan Sorting Through Logjam At Guard: ‘We Can’t Play Them All’

The Bulls have a problem, but it’s one for which every coach secretly wishes — too many capable guards and not enough minutes to go around.

In what’s shaping up to be one of the more intriguing subplots of their season, the Bulls enter camp with a crowded backcourt that features Coby White, Zach LaVine, Josh Giddey, and Ayo Dosunmu, all expecting regular roles. Toss in Lonzo Ball, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, and Chris Duarte, and you have the makings of a positional logjam.

Coach Billy Donovan is aware of the competition and isn’t mincing words about the challenge of spreading minutes evenly.

“It’s going to be tough. These guys are all highly competitive, worked hard this offseason, but some of them just won’t get the chance,” Donovan said, via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’ve got a lot of talent, but not enough minutes.”

What complicates things even more are injuries to key players like Giddey and Ball, though their eventual returns will only make the rotation decisions that much tougher. Donovan hinted that a three-guard lineup is in the cards, and we got a glimpse of that during the Bulls’ preseason opener against Cleveland. White, LaVine, and Giddey were in the starting lineup, joined by Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic in the frontcourt. It’s a look Donovan seems to favor heading into the regular season.

But no matter how you slice it, someone will be the odd man out. “Somebody’s going to be sitting. We can’t play them all,” Donovan admitted, knowing that hard decisions lie ahead.

The big question now: Who gets left behind? Donovan is leaning on defensive versatility to help figure that out. Dosunmu, who has developed into a strong perimeter defender, could carve out a consistent role depending on matchups.

“Ayo’s really good defensively, so it’s about finding who pairs best with him,” Donovan said. 

So as the Bulls inch closer to the regular season, one thing is certain: the battle for minutes in the backcourt is heating up, and not everyone will get a seat at the table. For now, Donovan’s job is to figure out how to juggle a backcourt overflowing with ability — and that’s no easy task.