5 hours ago 1

Mike Bianchi: Billy Donovan made a Thunderously bad career move when he left OKC

Running off at the typewriter. …

Let me preface what I’m about to say by reiterating a stance I’ve had for many years about Billy Donovan.

I believe he is the greatest college coach — football or basketball — in our state’s history. Many college coaches in Florida have won national titles in football, but Billy D. — until the University of Florida’s Todd Golden won this year’s NCAA Tournament — had been the only basketball coach to win a national title. And he didn’t just win one with the Gators, he won two and played for another.

Donovan just got elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame because he transformed a football-first school into a basketball powerhouse, elevating the Gators to national prominence and etching his name into coaching immortality. Few coaches have combined charisma, strategic acumen, and player development as effectively as Donovan. He was a teacher, a motivator, and a culture-builder.

But …

Donovan, one of the greatest college coaches of all-time, made a decision that, in hindsight, might be one of the most ill-timed career moves in recent NBA history. No, I’m talking about his one-day stint as the Magic’s coach. I’m talking about after five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder — seasons that included a Western Conference Finals run and multiple playoff berths — Donovan chose to leave.

Not because of poor performance or friction, but because he didn’t want to weather the looming rebuild that Thunder GM Sam Presti was about to initiate. At the time, it made sense. Donovan, already in his mid-50s, had spent his entire coaching life in win-now mode. The idea of coaching through years of losses, player development and strategic asset collection may have been unappealing.

So, in 2020 Donovan signed with the Chicago Bulls, a team with some young talent but no clear identity. He likely saw a quicker path to relevance in Chicago, banking on a front office ready to invest and a fanbase hungry for a return to greatness. But things just haven’t materialized

Meanwhile, the Thunder — once assumed to be years away from contention — executed one of the most impressive rebuilds in modern sports. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a war chest of draft picks, they’ve now won their first NBA championship and are widely seen as a budding dynasty. Their coach, Mark Daigneault, Donovan’s former assistant at UF and OKC, is now hailed as one of the brightest minds in basketball.

It’s hard not to wonder what Donovan thinks watching it all unfold. Would Donovan have been patient and evolved with the Thunder’s young roster the way Daigneault did? I’m sure Donovan is happy for Daigneault, but there also has to be at least a flicker of regret. The Thunder are the youngest team to win an NBA championship in nearly 50 years are set up to contend for years to come.

Donovan walked away from a long-term project that has turned into a rising juggernaut, trading it for a Bulls team still stuck in basketball purgatory. While Donovan’s legacy is secure thanks to his college resume, there’s no denying that his NBA story may always include a footnote of what might have been had he just trusted the process in Oklahoma City. …

Short stuff: The Magic taking Jase Richardson in the first round of Wednesday night’s NBA draft proves two things: 1) Orlando loves athletic guards, and 2) I am officially old considering I covered Richardson’s father, Jason, who played for the Magic 15 years ago. … By the way, I’m glad the Orlando Magic seem to be on their way to championship contention, but the NBA draft sure was more exciting when they were in the lottery. How boring was Wednesday night’s draft? Put it this way, I was watching YouTube videos of last year’s summer league just to spice things up. … Miami Heat legend Pat Riley has swung and missed yet again — this time on Kevin Durant. I’m not saying Riles has lost his touch, but he’s struck out more times than me at the SI Swimsuit Model’s Convention.

So Aaron Rodgers goes on Pat McAffee’s show and whines about how he has no privacy — after signing up for a three-part Netflix docuseries on his private life. Rodgers revealed his soul, his family trauma and his gastrointestinal cleanses on Netflix’s camera, but now it’s our fault for noticing. … Sadly, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was in tears earlier this week when a spectator heckled him about his late mother, who died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic a few years ago. It never ceases to amaze me how some “fans” redefine how low you can go. If you’re scoring at home, chalk this one up as a strikeout for humanity. … Did you see where the NCAA basketball tournament may soon be expanded to 76 teams? At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the champions of the Valencia College Coed Intramural League get an invitation to March Madness. …

It’s truly unfortunate that Eastern Conference stars such as Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard have all suffered torn Achilles tendons, likely sidelining them for most or all of next season. But with these setbacks, the East suddenly feels wide open — and the Orlando Magic just might be the biggest beneficiaries. Makes you wonder if the injury gods are delivering some cosmic payback for the Magic’s own injury woes this season. … A reminder to Orange County Commissioners: The A’s broke ground on a new baseball stadium in Las Vegas earlier this week. The message is clear: If there is vision and commitment, public-private baseball stadium financing can get done. … LSU just gave the SEC its sixth straight national title in baseball to go along with the basketball national title won by the Florida Gators to go along with winning 13 of the last 19 national titles in football. The conference’s mantra — “SEC: It Just Means More” — really is true. …

Last word: With Friday being Helen Keller’s birthday, let us never forget the immortal words of the iconic deaf and blind author and activist: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”