Adversity can make Chicago Bulls tougher as the season goes on, says Billy Donovan

Donovan believes the Bulls can still turn their season around.

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It has been an up-and-down season for the Chicago Bulls. The team had elevated expectations heading to the season, coming off their most successful campaign in seven years. However, the Bulls have fallen short and are 1.5 games outside of the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite the tough season, head coach Billy Donovan has been adamant that adversity and struggles could make the team tougher as they look to finish this year on a strong note. He believes that when a team goes through challenging times together, it can bring them closer and help them become a more unified group – one that is capable of achieving great things.

Stick together

The Bulls' latest defeat—a 128-120 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday—showed a lot of the ills that had been ailing the team all season; defensive lapses, a sluggish start, and a tendency to stagnate on offense were all prevalent during the game. 

However, Donovan was not discouraged by the result and instead urged his players to stay positive and remain focused on the task ahead.

"To me, that's the stuff that you've gotta, as a group, you've gotta become more connected, more determined, more stubborn, more resilient. I think you have to get hardened by that," said Donovan. "I like the way we're playing, and how we're going and what we're doing, I think there's been some positives. I do see us playing better against some of the better teams. But there's been other issues."

Rematch on Friday pic.twitter.com/tj8h3JWi8Z

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) December 15, 2022

Roll with the punches

DeMar DeRozan has been through some tough times. Whether it was in his previous stops in Toronto or San Antonio, he has experienced his share of highs and lows as an NBA player. 

The five-time All-Star echoed Donovan's sentiment that the Bulls can use their struggles to become a better team moving forward.

"You gotta appreciate it. It comes with the challenge. You can't choose the weather, you can choose what you put on when you go in the weather," said DeRozan. "I think that's just where we're at. We gotta be dressed for whatever and be able to get through whatever it is we gotta go through. And once we do that, we'll be fine."