When Billy Donovan took over the Chicago Bulls, the city felt something it hadn’t in years — hope. The 2021-22 squad, led by Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and a surging Lonzo Ball, looked poised to bring real basketball back to the Windy City. For months, they did.
The Bulls were must-watch basketball. DeRozan was hitting game-winners like he was possessed. LaVine was soaring through defenders. And Donovan — calm, composed, methodical — seemed to have finally unlocked the team’s potential. For a brief, thrilling window, Chicago sat atop the Eastern Conference standings, a contender reborn.
But then, everything fell apart.
Injuries, chemistry issues, and a devastating collapse after the All-Star break turned that dream season into one of the most painful “what could have been” stories in recent NBA memory. And now, nearly four years later, Billy Donovan still can’t fully move past it.
“I still think about it,” Donovan admitted in a recent interview. “When you have a group that’s connecting like that, that’s buying in — and then it slips away because of things out of your control — yeah, it stays with you.”
For Donovan, the “what if” isn’t just about wins or playoff runs. It’s about potential lost. About a team that — for a moment — looked like it could genuinely challenge the East’s elite.
“Zach and DeMar were incredible together,” he reflected. “They played off each other beautifully. We had something really special going, and Lonzo’s injury changed everything. You can prepare for a lot as a coach, but you can’t prepare for that kind of blow.”
When Lonzo Ball went down with a knee injury in January 2022, the Bulls’ fast-paced, free-flowing offense vanished overnight. The team stumbled to the finish line, losing rhythm, identity, and confidence.
By the playoffs, they were a shadow of their former selves. Milwaukee made quick work of them in five games, and that version of the Bulls — the one that had Chicago buzzing — never truly returned.
Now, as the Bulls continue to search for direction amid roster uncertainty and trade rumors surrounding LaVine, Donovan’s reflection hits harder. It’s a reminder of how fragile success can be — and how quickly promise can turn into regret.
“I don’t dwell on it in a negative way,” Donovan said. “But as a coach, you always look back and ask, ‘What could we have done differently? Could we have handled the adversity better?’ That’s the kind of stuff that keeps you up at night.”
In a league where narratives shift overnight, the 2021-22 Bulls remain one of the great NBA “what ifs.” They had the talent, the chemistry, the energy — and the city behind them. What they didn’t have was time.
Donovan has since moved on to new challenges, new rotations, and new expectations. But deep down, it’s clear that a part of him is still walking those United Center sidelines — watching LaVine and DeRozan light up the scoreboard, the crowd roaring, the dream still alive.
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