- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 402,357
- Reaction score
- 43
Coby White has spent the last five years of his NBA career trying to shake the “streaky” label.
It’s a frustrating moniker for any shooter. Getting hot goes hand in hand with getting cold. When it comes to elite scoring, fans, opponents and coaches alike are always waiting for the other sneaker to drop. But White doesn’t want that. He isn’t content being a player who lives off runs. For the last two years, he’s been molding himself toward a singular goal: exceptional reliability.
This season, the Chicago Bulls guard might have finally achieved that objective.
It came as no surprise when White won Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March. He spent the entire month playing the best basketball of his career, notching a career-high 44-point game, averaging 27.7 points and 3.7 assists across 15 games. White has scored 20 or more points for 15 straight games, knocked down clutch baskets in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers and became the second Bulls player since Zach LaVine to record more than 400 points and 40 3-pointers in a single month.
In the past, White has been known to heat up for a week or two of dazzling play. But this stretch has been too long to be considered a fluke.
Buried late in another mediocre season for the Bulls — who are destined to return once again to the play-in tournament — a monthly award might seem easy to shrug off. But for White, this stretch of excellence in February is reflective of a years-long process of building stability.
The consistency required for a player to stand out among his NBA peers for an entire month is an elite quality that has often been absent from Bulls rosters. There’s a reason only five other players in the history of the Bulls have won the award: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and DeMar DeRozan.
It’s a significant group to join — and something White recognized and celebrated after receiving the award Tuesday morning. But the guard is also focused on what comes next.
“I’m not gonna limit myself to anything,” White said. “I’m gonna continue to get better, continue to be who I am and put my all into this game. Whatever happens after that happens.”
Coach Billy Donovan remembers his first introduction to White in February 2020.
Technically, it was a second introduction. Donovan was still the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had already played the Bulls once earlier in the season. White blended into the wallpaper in that game, scoring only two points after taking six shots in a tightly contested Bulls loss.
How are Chicago Bulls’ Coby White and Josh Giddey getting to the FT line? It’s all about technique — and maybe hair.
But this second impression was a bit stronger. White was in the middle of a furious stretch of scoring. He racked up his third straight game with 30 or more points against the Thunder, dropping 35 points while sinking seven 3-pointers.
Donovan wasn’t all that impressed.
“He was just scoring,” Donovan said. “That’s all he was doing.”
That was the standard scouting report on White during his first three years in the league: even when he was playing his best, he was still a one-dimensional player.
That’s the difference this season.
It’s not just that White is shooting at the most efficient clip of his career (44.9% from the floor). Or that he’s making more 3-pointers (three per game) and averaging more points (20.4) than ever before. White is finally playing holistic basketball, fueling the Bulls with the type of well-rounded production necessary to keep this team afloat without LaVine.
And in the process, he’s redefined himself to no longer be seen as streaky — or as just a scorer.
“So much of Coby when he first got into the league was all predicated on his scoring,” Donovan said. “As he’s grown, he’s figured out different ways to impact the group and impact winning besides just putting the ball in the basket. There’s been some games here, even after the All-Star break, where he hasn’t shot the ball particularly well or at the level he’s capable of from the three-point line, and he still has had a huge impact in the game.”
Although White has given the Bulls a spark of positivity in another frustrating season, he will soon represent one of the toughest conundrums on the roster. His next free-agency period is barely a year away, and his price is going up. He’s proven himself to be a player the Bulls can build with, but he’s still far from exuding the star power necessary to truly anchor a competitive team.
How the Bulls approach White’s next free agency — along with that of guard Josh Giddey — will be a crucial test for this front office’s ability to actually build toward the future after parting with the majority of its veteran stars over the last year.
For now, however, the Bulls will be content to celebrate the growth of their longest-tenured player.
Continue reading...
It’s a frustrating moniker for any shooter. Getting hot goes hand in hand with getting cold. When it comes to elite scoring, fans, opponents and coaches alike are always waiting for the other sneaker to drop. But White doesn’t want that. He isn’t content being a player who lives off runs. For the last two years, he’s been molding himself toward a singular goal: exceptional reliability.
This season, the Chicago Bulls guard might have finally achieved that objective.
It came as no surprise when White won Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March. He spent the entire month playing the best basketball of his career, notching a career-high 44-point game, averaging 27.7 points and 3.7 assists across 15 games. White has scored 20 or more points for 15 straight games, knocked down clutch baskets in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers and became the second Bulls player since Zach LaVine to record more than 400 points and 40 3-pointers in a single month.
In the past, White has been known to heat up for a week or two of dazzling play. But this stretch has been too long to be considered a fluke.
Buried late in another mediocre season for the Bulls — who are destined to return once again to the play-in tournament — a monthly award might seem easy to shrug off. But for White, this stretch of excellence in February is reflective of a years-long process of building stability.
The consistency required for a player to stand out among his NBA peers for an entire month is an elite quality that has often been absent from Bulls rosters. There’s a reason only five other players in the history of the Bulls have won the award: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and DeMar DeRozan.
It’s a significant group to join — and something White recognized and celebrated after receiving the award Tuesday morning. But the guard is also focused on what comes next.
“I’m not gonna limit myself to anything,” White said. “I’m gonna continue to get better, continue to be who I am and put my all into this game. Whatever happens after that happens.”
Coach Billy Donovan remembers his first introduction to White in February 2020.
Technically, it was a second introduction. Donovan was still the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had already played the Bulls once earlier in the season. White blended into the wallpaper in that game, scoring only two points after taking six shots in a tightly contested Bulls loss.
How are Chicago Bulls’ Coby White and Josh Giddey getting to the FT line? It’s all about technique — and maybe hair.
But this second impression was a bit stronger. White was in the middle of a furious stretch of scoring. He racked up his third straight game with 30 or more points against the Thunder, dropping 35 points while sinking seven 3-pointers.
Donovan wasn’t all that impressed.
“He was just scoring,” Donovan said. “That’s all he was doing.”
That was the standard scouting report on White during his first three years in the league: even when he was playing his best, he was still a one-dimensional player.
That’s the difference this season.
Related Articles
- Lonzo Ball still isn’t ready to return — but Chicago Bulls won’t shut him down before the end of the season
- 3 takeaways as the Chicago Bulls clinch a play-in tournament spot with a 137-118 win at home
- Photos: Chicago Bulls defeat the Toronto Raptors 137-118
- Can the Chicago Bulls move up in the play-in seeding? A look at the stakes with 2 weeks left.
- Oklahoma City Thunder rout the Chicago Bulls 145-117 for their 10th straight win
It’s not just that White is shooting at the most efficient clip of his career (44.9% from the floor). Or that he’s making more 3-pointers (three per game) and averaging more points (20.4) than ever before. White is finally playing holistic basketball, fueling the Bulls with the type of well-rounded production necessary to keep this team afloat without LaVine.
And in the process, he’s redefined himself to no longer be seen as streaky — or as just a scorer.
“So much of Coby when he first got into the league was all predicated on his scoring,” Donovan said. “As he’s grown, he’s figured out different ways to impact the group and impact winning besides just putting the ball in the basket. There’s been some games here, even after the All-Star break, where he hasn’t shot the ball particularly well or at the level he’s capable of from the three-point line, and he still has had a huge impact in the game.”
Although White has given the Bulls a spark of positivity in another frustrating season, he will soon represent one of the toughest conundrums on the roster. His next free-agency period is barely a year away, and his price is going up. He’s proven himself to be a player the Bulls can build with, but he’s still far from exuding the star power necessary to truly anchor a competitive team.
How the Bulls approach White’s next free agency — along with that of guard Josh Giddey — will be a crucial test for this front office’s ability to actually build toward the future after parting with the majority of its veteran stars over the last year.
For now, however, the Bulls will be content to celebrate the growth of their longest-tenured player.
Continue reading...
