Bulls take training camp to Nashville as team tries to return to playoff form
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Bulls are back, well, not in Chicago because Billy Donovan and company are in Nashville for five days.
The team decided to get away for training camp before they begin the preseason on Sunday in Milwaukee.
The Bulls are trying to get back to the playoffs after being bounced out of the play-in tournament last year.
It'll be Donovan's fourth season with the Bulls and the team hasn't won a playoff series since 2015.
With the roster looking very similar to a year ago, Donovan wanted to do something different to break up the monotony of training camp. They settled on Belmont University in Nashville, where they're in the same time zone and only need a one-hour flight to get there.
"Trying something new can be beneficial," said star forward DeMar DeRozan. "Ain't nothing wrong with that at all. I think just getting out of everybody's comfort zone of just being home for camp, or just giving somebody a different scenery could do a lot for camaraderie, just hanging out."
Donovan added that his players "have really good relationships, but I think there's a deeper connection that you really got to have and establish in today's society where everything's done with your phone and I felt like this was an opportunity for us to get away and basically really connect."
The Bulls are set to open the regular season at home on Oct. 25 to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
