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LOS ANGELES \u2013 Jaden Ivey has his coach\u2019s vote of confidence.<\/p>\n
Does that mean the guard will be back with the Bulls and with Billy Donovan next season? Too early to answer that, especially since he will be a restricted free agent this summer. But in the talks Donovan has had with the medical team, he sounded optimistic that Ivey will return to the player he was coming out of Purdue and his first three seasons in Detroit before he fractured his leg.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I have a pretty good feel for him as a player when he\u2019s healthy,\u201d Donovan said Friday. \u201cHe was really explosive, downhill, two-way player, can defend, really improved his shooting. The biggest thing I would want to know from our medical guys, and I have talked a little bit about this is, \u2018OK, does a summer really bring his strength back?\u2019 That would be my biggest thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur medical guys, when I\u2019ve spoken to them, they feel really, really optimistic and positive that he will regain that strength, but strength doesn\u2019t necessarily come back just like that. It\u2019s going to take a period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steps were taken in that direction as Ivey was assigned to the G League Windy City Bulls, got a workout with them back in Chicago, and could work out with the NBA roster on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Considering how Friday against the Clippers worked out, the Bulls could use the help.<\/p>\n
Playing in the finale of a five-game West Coast trip, the Bulls (27-40) looked like it, a step behind the home team most of the night in the 119-108 loss.<\/p>\n
They did finish the trip 2-3, which wasn\u2019t ideal for the tanking effort, but did give them some good moments moving beyond this season. Matas Buzelis had a solid series, including a career night (41 points) against the Warriors, and Josh Giddey registered his 11th<\/sup> triple-double of the season, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.<\/p>\n As for Ivey, who was acquired in the Kevin Huerter trade, maybe he makes it back to help, but time isn\u2019t on his side.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of it is going to be predicated on where his strength is at,\u201d Donovan said of him possibly returning. \u201cThe improvement and growth he\u2019s made in the strength area.\u201d<\/p>\n Career mark<\/b><\/p>\n Giddey entered the finale of the West Coast trip shooting a career-best 38.7% from three-point range this season, after setting that mark last year with the Bulls ay 37.8%.<\/p>\n What\u2019s been the change for Giddey?<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s really put a lot of time into it to his credit,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cI think my responsibility is to give him confidence on the ones he\u2019s supposed to take and clearly he\u2019s a guy that has done a terrific job of getting into the paint. He\u2019s got to have the balance between sometimes guys are backing up to contain the dribble and those shots are there. I think he\u2019s taking good ones. The more he can take that shot and he\u2019s shooting it well, it\u2019s going to open up his game.\u201d<\/p>\n Medical tent<\/b><\/p>\n The Bulls did get Patrick Williams back on the floor against the Clippers, after he was dealing with left ankle soreness, but while one forward was back in, another went out.<\/p>\n Because Jalen Smith has been hampered with a calf strain, the Bulls opted to sit him in the back end of the back-to-back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n