Following a nice win over the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 3, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan had some interesting answers in the press conference.
Following their Jan. 3 home win at the United Center over the Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks was a nice mark on the record so far this season for first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls got the win over the Mavericks at home to round out the weekend by the final score of 118-108.
And in the press conference with Donovan following the win over the Mavericks, he spoke on a number of interesting topics, including some players he thinks very highly of around the NBA landscape. In his postgame press conference, Donovan was asked about how he feels about stars like Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons, Luka, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar point forward LeBron James (dialogue per Heavy).
Donovan apparently really likes what that trio of superstars brings to the table not just for their teams, but for the game of basketball itself.
LIVE: Head Coach Billy Donovan media availability prior to tonight’s game vs. Dallas https://t.co/Xg2wtghCc1
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2021
There’s definitely some level of comparisons to be made between this trio of superstars, namely their insane physical tools, court vision, and feel for the game in general. Here’s more on what Donovan had to say on this matter regarding these three.
"Well I think they all go about it in a different way. They’re all kind of multi-positional players, but they’re all great with the ball in their hands. I think the one thing that would stand out with the three of them and obviously LeBron with his experience and his time in the league you know, is just their basketball IQ. They have an INCREDIBLE feel and understanding of the game; you know, I would say with LeBron, he – and I’m just speculating on this, is that he studies and prepares really well. He knows what’s going on and he understands how teams being guarded, coverage and things like that. He can see and I’ve always said this about him even seeing him in high school, he tries to make the RIGHT basketball play and he’s really, really a terrific passer in terms in where people are open and delivering the ball to the people on time and on target."
Simmons and Luka are off to up and down starts this season, but LeBron and the Lakers are still hot out West. The Mavericks hold a record of 3-4 after they split their last two games on Jan. 3 and 4. They lost to the Bulls to round out the weekend, but toppled the Houston Rockets the following day.
Meanwhile, the Sixers are currently the top team in the Eastern Conference, sporting a record of 6-1. The last game for Simmons and the Sixers resulted in a comfortable 118-101 win over the Charlotte Hornets on the night of Jan. 4.
Simmons himself has started in all seven games he’s played in so far this season for the Sixers, averaging just shy of 32.5 minutes per game. And he’s averaged 13.3 points per game, 9.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks. Simmons shot a solid 50.7 percent from the field, 100.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 61.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Moreover, Donovan and the Bulls are set to take on star point guard Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers on the road on the night of Jan. 5. The Bulls will head into that game with a record of 3-4, winning three of their last four games.