Bulls coach Billy Donovan staggering with idea of 10-man rotation

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It’s an interesting dilemma that needs exploring.

Good thing there’s three days of training camp left for the Bulls and then five preseason games.

There is a scenario in which coach Billy Donovan plays a 10-man rotation and uses a second unit void of a staggering starter.

It would go against everything he’s done the last two seasons, but he could roll out a bench unit built on causing disruption and havoc on the defensive end, hellbent on locking teams down.

The example he discussed involved a starting group of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams and Coby White, and then turning loose a second unit of Jevon Carter, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Torrey Craig and Andre Drummond.

Simple?

Not quite.

“Vooch, Zach and DeMar only on the floor with each other because you’re playing five guys coming off the bench,’’ Donovan said of the issue he might have with it. “DeMar has been really good with that second unit. Now if you start staggering starters into the second unit, you’re really putting yourself up for playing nine.

“It’s hard to stagger (with 10 players). We have to look at it because it’s been good for us. Do we have a true second unit? Is it really beneficial for us? I don’t know. I don’t know if we want Zach, DeMar and Vooch playing all their minutes together. Playing them because of their ability to score, with that second unit, has been beneficial.’’

DeRozan has been the starter Donovan has mostly staggered the last few seasons, and a big reason why the bench was so solid last year.

It sounded like Donovan would give the 10-man rotation a look Sunday in Milwaukee, but it remained a work in progress.

Clear skies

While the point guard battle between White and Carter is only in its early stages, what isn’t a mystery is who the candidates in that battle will be.

That’s a big reason why Vucevic feels like this offense can be improved from last season, and the reason that the big man had so much dialogue with coach Billy Donovan before he re-upped in July.

“I think last year also we were thinking, ‘When (injured point guard) Lonzo (Ball) comes back it’ll be different,’ ‘’ Vucevic said. “I think this year we have a clear picture. Obviously (Ball’s) not going to be back and we have to find other ways to run our offense without putting so much pressure on Zach and DeMar handling the ball and scoring, doing everything.’’

Repeat offender?

If Arturas Karnisovas’ opening press conference of training camp sounded familiar, that’s because it very much was.

The executive vice president of basketball operations set the bar at the playoffs at this time last season, as well as advancing at least out of the first round. That didn’t happen as the Bulls lost to Miami in the final play-in game, but the expectations haven’t dimmed.

“I think for this group we want to get in the playoffs,’’ Karnisovas said. “Example last year that once you get in the playoffs, there’s an opportunity for a lot of teams. And it goes into matchups, if you’re healthy. There’s a lot of factors once you get in the playoffs. That would be my view for this team.

“Right now, the comments about us, a lot of people are not expecting us to be anywhere. Actually, I compare it to two years ago. The expectations are pretty much the same. But I have faith in this group and Billy that we are going to be a good team.’’