Whether it be through highlight dunks, clutch closing efforts, or big blowout victories, the Chicago Bulls’ talent has started to get their recognition for a hot start this season.
And that includes Billy Donovan.
Your Eastern Conference Coach of the Month… Billy Donovan! pic.twitter.com/dnXMMdDKc5
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 2, 2021
NBA Coaches of the Month for October & November.
West: Monty Williams (@Suns)
East: Billy Donovan (@chicagobulls) pic.twitter.com/PfHzrnrDNu— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2021
The NBA announced on Thursday that the Bulls head coach has been named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for the games played in October and November. The Phoenix Suns’ Monty Williams – who has led his crew to an NBA-best 18-3 start – took home the Western Conference honors.
While I’m sure monthly awards – or awards that are not a shiny trophy named Larry – do not mean much to Donovan, there is no denying this is a well-deserved nod. The Bulls’ 14-8 start has them tied for second in the Eastern Conference, and their 4.7 net rating sits 4th-highest in the NBA. Donovan has not only found a way to get a roster with only three players from the start of the 2020-21 season to click faster than anyone expected but he’s kept them playing at a high level in the face of adversity. The Bulls have already seen Patrick Williams go down with a wrist injury, Zach LaVine suffer a lingering thumb injury, and Nikola Vucevic miss seven games due to Health & Safety Protocols (Coby White will also now miss multiple games (again)).
Donovan also dealt with these obstacles during a grueling mid-November stretch where the Bulls played 12 of 13 games against 2020-21 playoff teams. The one game not against a postseason squad from a season ago came against the resurgent Golden State Warriors. Over those 13 games, the Bulls walked away with an 8-5 record. Impressive stuff, Coach.
According to NBC Sports Chicago, Donovan is now the 4th Bulls head coach to ever earn a Coach of the Month honor, joining a cast of unsurprising characters.
Donovan is the 5th Bulls coach to be so honored. Doug Collins (once), Phil Jackson (4 times), Scott Skiles (twice) and Tom Thibodeau (6 times) are the others. https://t.co/fcSpAn7GgU
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 2, 2021
Anyway, congrats, Billy! After years of incompetence on the bench, it’s nice to have a competent face running the show. Next up: Coach of the Year!