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It’s safe to say that Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen is not a fan of his former team’s head coaching hire.
Pippen told Forbes that Billy Donovan’s track record with the Oklahoma City Thunder does not show he’ll be able to lead the young Bulls team.
“I don’t think he’s proved anything in the NBA that proves he’s worth investing in and bringing a team up that needs help like Chicago does,” Pippen said.
“They’re a team that has been struggling for a long time. To me, I don’t see the value he brings to them.”
After Donovan and the Thunder parted ways, the Bulls signed him to a contract reportedly worth $24 million over four years.
Chicago was comfortable giving Donovan that deal after the Thunder had made the playoffs all five years of the coach’s tenure in Oklahoma City, a stretch that followed Donovan’s long, dominant Florida run.
Yet the Thunder lost in the first round in four of the five seasons under Donovan. They haven’t advanced to the second round since 2016, when Kevin Durant was on the team.
“He’s going to be a coach but there are a lot of them out there. He didn’t do anything special in OKC that warranted him a second opportunity. That’s just my opinion,” Pippen said.
Here’s the Hall of Famer’s full quote to Forbes:
“If you’re looking at it from a fan perspective, I’m not impressed with what they did. I don’t think that they have made any dramatic changes that are going to change who they are as a team. That’s just my personal opinion. I like Billy Donovan as a person but I don’t think he’s proved anything in the NBA that proves he’s worth investing in and bringing a team up that needs help like Chicago does. They’re a team that has been struggling for a long time. To me, I don’t see the value he brings to them. He’s going to be a coach but there are a lot of them out there. He didn’t do anything special in OKC that warranted him a second opportunity. That’s just my opinion.”
The Bulls have struggled over the last half-decade, only making the playoffs once in the last five seasons.
They hope that the roster of players with upside including Zach LaVine, Lauri Markannen, Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and Coby White — along with the fourth pick in the 2020 NBA draft — can make a push for the postseason this season.
Donovan, of course, would not like to interrupt his playoff streak since joining the NBA.
Pippen doesn’t sound confident he’ll be able to.
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