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Billy Donovan must feel like he’s training on quicksand. For each day of learning the Bulls roster, one day to answer questions about the ambiguous availability of players. For each rotation experience, a spontaneous absence. Or four.
Nevertheless, the show continues. And it went off without a hitch Thursday, thanks in large part to the exploits of a new-look bench squadron featuring Thad Young and Daniel Gafford. With Otto Porter Jr. jumping in place of Markkanen with the starting unit, these two, plus Garrett Temple and Denzel Valentine, combined for 41 points on 62.1 percent shots against Washington.
“I give these guys a lot of credit. These guys are pretty good to start, but they’ve been total squad guys, ”Donovan said of the Bulls’ reserves. “When you bring these guys in and they get ready and focused and know what to do, when you can generate that kind of attack from the bench with these guys, it definitely helps.
Gafford was his hyper-energetic self, affecting plays with his length and activity on the defensive end, and clattering rims on the other. He finished the night with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block, shooting a super-efficient 7-for-8 on the field and posting a record-breaking +23 plus-minus game.
He was instrumental in stopping a 10-0 Wizards run in the middle of the second quarter, which featured four Bulls turnovers and threatened their hold on the game. It had a similar impact in the third, when the Bulls countered a 10-2 Wizards sprint out of the half, edging the hosts 34-22 in the final nine minutes of the period.
“We’ve come a long way from the first three games we’ve played. We have learned lessons on how to deal with adversity. There were times in those games where we played and at the beginning when we lost it was times like, we just gave up. We have been mentally checked. We weren’t doing the things we were doing in the games we won, ”said Gafford. “Adversity was a big thing with us.”
Donovan Okay Thursday was a step in the right direction in this department.
And how about a hint of personal adversity for good measure? Gafford’s exit came as his grip on a spinning point seemed to slip with Donovan’s success in staggering Lauri Markkanen as the team’s functional backup center for Carter. Gafford didn’t see the ground in Sunday’s last-second loss to Golden State and recorded just six minutes in the Wizards’ first win on Tuesday.
“Just be patient, be professional. Sometimes you won’t be able to get what you want when it comes to playing time and things like that, ”said Gafford. “But the guys on the bench did it and we did what we needed to do. We went out. We stayed ready. We went out and played the ball that we still play.
“I really appreciate him getting ready, being professional as a young player,” Donovan said of Gafford. “I thought he was a presence, defensively, at the rim and I thought he was an offensive presence at arrivals.
Young, meanwhile, made his 2020-2021 debut – both pre and regular season – on Thursday after battling a serious leg infection for nearly three weeks. He later said he had only played one 5-on-5 session under his belt, but barely looked at it, registering 15 points, six assists and two steals in 27 minutes.
“I’m ready for everything. For me, it’s just going out and playing basketball. It’s a game that I love. And I play with passion, so I’m one of those guys who’ll always be ready no matter what, ”Young said.
Indeed, Young been doing this for a while. 14 years to be exact – for good and bad teams, in stable and oscillating roles.
But he even surprised himself with that last row and his ability to effectively close the hotly contested fourth quarter stretch run down the small ball’s center.
“I was shocked myself that my pace and timing were still there,” he snapped, later praising the Bulls’ strength coaches for helping him get into shape quickly. .
Donovan was also a little surprised by Young’s play. Kind of.
“I guess surprised and not surprised,” he says. “Probably more amazed that he (Young) couldn’t really do anything at training camp. And you see him training when he’s allowed to slowly get back to the game, it’s amazing to me at his age how fast he can bounce back and get back into shape. His tenacity and endurance are truly impressive. There are some types who when tired have a great ability to overcome fatigue. He has this ability …
“He has a very, very unique game. Those little pushes and left floats and flips, it’s a bit off balance but has a nice touch around the rim. And he’s a very good passer. I thought he made some great passes to Gaff and Wendell. It was great to have him as a playmaker. We can find him in the pocket and he can play in the middle of the floor.
Even missing Tomáš Satoranský, that veteran presence alongside Temple and Porter can still be a boon to these young bulls.
“We are very proud. Garrett and Thad, they’re both veterans. They are both seasoned veterans. Denzel, he’s just come in and he’s playing his game. Me and all the other guys on the bench, we just did what we need to do, ”said Gafford. “We remain locked up. We remain ready. When it comes to getting in on the game and being able to play like we did tonight, that’s really a big thing for the team.
This point becomes particularly essential given than the length of Satoransky, Markkanen, Ryan Arcidiacono and the absences of Chandler Hutchison all remain pending. Donovan has confirmed that neither of them will travel to Milwaukee for Friday’s fight with the Bucks. There isn’t much clarity going on then.
Backed up by Donovan’s buttons, the Bulls will look to keep running their business in the meantime.
“We have a lot of potential. We just have to stay locked up. We can give ourselves a pat on the back for this win, but we have to stay stuck because we have another tomorrow, ”said Gafford. “We came in and took a business trip, and we came out 2-0.”
Reality is calling soon in the form of the Bucks.
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