\n<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2014 There was a lot of losing under Joe Mullaney his first few years at Providence College, but once the former coach retired and Rick Pitino took over, a young guard named Billy Donovan forgot what losing basketball looked like.<\/p>\n
And not for the short term, either.<\/p>\n
The rest of his college career, his time as an assistant coach, and then once Donovan finally sat in the coaching seat himself, winning season after winning season. Sure, there were a few down years every now and then, but both in college and the NBA, Donovan and winning were synonymous.<\/p>\n
Leave it to the Bulls to be the nightmarish reminder of his early Providence days, and that\u2019s even with a somewhat impressive 105-103 victory over the Suns on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, and I want to win,\u201d Donovan insisted when reminded that he\u2019s never really lost like he has the last six weeks as a player or coach. \u201cYou\u2019re competing to try and win, so absolutely you always want to do a good job and you want to be in position to win basketball games. I\u2019ve said this many times, it\u2019s a result-oriented business. With that being said, I feel like I have a job to do with the current roster and the guys that are here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even the guys that aren\u2019t \u201chere\u201d long-term.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the tricky part in all of this. Since the roster purge at the trade deadline, the Bulls\u2019 front office did rid itself of seven free-agent contracts but also took in players in walk years. Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, Guerschon Yabusele and Nick Richards could all be wearing different uniforms by July, while Donovan and the front office have to make decisions on restricted free agent Jaden Ivey, as well as decide if second-year guard Rob Dillingham has the potential to live up to his lottery pick status from the 2024 draft.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where Donovan is trying to keep his focus, evident by Sexton scoring 30 points in the victory, Yabusele scoring 16, including a clutch corner three late, and Richards chipping in with nine points and 11 rebounds against his former team. Dillingham also had some flash moments with 11 points in 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, I can help a guy like a Rob Dillingham, who hasn\u2019t had a much of an opportunity,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cSame with Lenny [Miller] and some of these other guys. Can I help Matas [Buzelis] grow? Not only am I going through it personally, but the team is different for Josh [Giddey], Matas, Patrick [Williams] and Jalen [Smith], and those guys, too. We\u2019ve got to lean into whatever the situation is.\u201d<\/p>\n
That has been the ongoing message from Donovan, especially after the Bulls went 0-11 in February and still came out of the game against the Suns losers of 15 of their last 18 games. He wants his players to focus on what they can control.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s easy to ask of a veteran such as Isaac Okoro, who battled with the Suns\u2019 Devin Booker all night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been an advocate of if you\u2019re trying to do too much, doing what you\u2019re not used to doing or doing stuff out of the ordinary, it doesn\u2019t look good,\u201d Okoro said. \u201cPeople can tell by watching you play. Like if I was coming out here and going between the legs, step-back threes, it would just look out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been able to be in the league six years because of the role and the player I am of trying to take the toughest assignment every single night, being a hard-nosed player, put my body on the line. I\u2019ve always kept that mindset whether we have a full roster or half a roster.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n