Billy Donovan must unlock minutes for his 3-and-D spark plug during tough stretch

It's panic time in the Windy City. The Chicago Bulls have dropped four straight, three of them against some of the NBA’s worst teams, and they’re just 3–7 over their last 10. Chicago’s issues run deep, and there’s no single fix that will pull this team back on track.

Chicago’s bench isn’t what it used to be. It struggles in the clutch, lacks physicality, and the defense is downright abysmal. These issues don’t have quick fixes—they’re bigger than any one adjustment—but there are a few small changes Billy Donovan can make to start nudging the team in the right direction.

Donovan understands his roster better than anyone and has repeatedly preached the need for more physicality and aggression. After last night’s loss to the Orlando Magic, he said, “That’s what I talked about on media day was, ‘OK, everybody is playing fast now.’ Now it comes down to physicality, holding your ground, body in play, screening, loose balls, how well can you convert from offense to defense, defense to offense."

Phillips’ energy is impossible for Donovan to ignore

With Donovan stressing physicality, one player in particular is deserving of a bigger role, and he showed why last night. Julian Phillips logged his first 20-minute game of the season against Orlando, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds (two offensive), and a plus-nine, the second-best mark on the team.

Phillips might not be the most physically imposing player at around 200 pounds, but he’s aggressive, long (6-foot-8), and disruptive defensively. And unlike many players on the roster, he’s an athletic play-finisher. Of his four made field goals, one was a three-pointer, and the other three were dunks, with none of them being light finishes. He threw down a poster on Jonathan Isaac, a highlight-worthy alley-oop in transition, and a momentum-shifting putback that put the Bulls up three in the fourth quarter.

And as the video above shows, the putback wasn’t the only spark. Phillips hung on the rim afterward, nearly piggybacking Desmond Bane. That’s the kind of energy Chicago desperately needs, especially when Bane later returned the favor by baiting Matas Buzelis into a technical foul in crunch time.

Phillips isn’t exactly an enforcer, but he’s not afraid to mix it up, and he has the physical tools to hold his own. Chicago badly lacks that archetype. Two-way signee Emanuel Miller might also fit the mold at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds (and he looks closer to 230 with his frame), but for now, Phillips has the edge in experience with 137 NBA games under his belt. He’s still growing and figuring things out, but his energy is something the reeling Bulls can’t afford to overlook.