Donovan is widely liked and respected in the NBA, both …

Donovan is widely liked and respected in the NBA, both for his character and his qualities as a coach. He might not reach the elite caliber of coaches like Eric Spoelstra or Rick Carlisle, but Donovan is considered to be a solid tactician and indispensable locker-room leader who aids greatly in the development of young talent. A great statistic that backs up this reputation: The Bulls averaged the third-most points off ATO (after timeout) plays this season, ranking only behind the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. This is a small subset of playcalling in the scope of a full NBA game, but it reflects how well Donovan can construct options that benefit his players. But that doesn’t mean the Bulls are correct to prioritize Donovan in this process — or that they actually will do so once he makes his decision. Donovan, for his part, said Thursday that he believed Reinsdorf’s comments mostly reflected the mutual respect shared between the coach and ownership. He did not expect the team to prioritize his perspective in the final decision making regarding a new executive hire.

Chicago Tribune

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Donovan is widely liked and respected in the NBA, both …