The All-Star break couldn’t come at a better time for the Bulls. Poor play and the uncertainty surrounding the trade deadline have contributed to a lackluster February.

Coach Billy Donovan said before the game Wednesday that he likes to give his assistant coaches projects during the break because the Bulls are always trying to evaluate how they play and what lineup combinations they can work with.

“We’ll come back and meet as a group within plenty of time before we see the team to talk about some of those things,” Donovan said. “There may be some things that we put in offensively and defensively that we feel could help some of the things we struggled with.”

But Donovan doesn’t like influencing his assistants. He believes in diversity of thought and wants each coach to have his own opinion.

White’s shooting

Coby White struggled below his career norms in December.

The fifth-year guard averaged 17.3 points but shot 39.4% from the field and 29.3% from three-point range. White couldn’t get in a rhythm, and the Bulls needed him to go on a scoring spree.

White’s a streaky shooter, but his December struggles were more pronounced than any stretch he had last season. From November to March, 34.9% was the lowest White shot from three. But White has been on a heater in February, scoring at least 20 points in four of five games before the matchup against the Pistons.

With Zach LaVine off to Sacramento in a three-team deal, shots opened up, and someone had to take them. The responsibility fell to White because of his ability to attack defenses off the dribble, an element that a lot of Bulls don’t possess.

Against the Pistons, however, he got off to a poor start from the field.

Donovan’s Providence return

On Saturday, Donovan is having his jersey retired at Providence. He attended the school from 1983 to 1987 and played under legendary coach Rick Pitino. He was a part of Providence’s 1987 Final Four team.

But beyond the accolades and numbers he racked up with the Friars, Donovan reflected on how attending Providence shaped him.

“It’s funny because a lot of times you think you have so much control over things, and then all of a sudden you realize there were things that happened by chance that you had nothing to do with,” Donovan said.

“I think about the guys I got a chance to play with and the relationships that were established after that. And then I think about the coaching staff — coach Pitino, Jeff Van Gundy, Stu Jackson, Gordon Chiesa and Herb Sendek. The list goes on of the people, but at that time, when you’re 18, 19, 20 years old, they’re starting off in their career, too.”

Injury update

Guard Lonzo Ball missed his fourth consecutive game. Donovan said Ball had no ramp-up and hadn’t been on the floor.

He said Ball is feeling better but isn’t quite ready to play. The expectation is for Ball to return for the first practice after the break, Donovan said.