All things considered, the 2022-23 season is not going well for the Chicago Bulls. The team hit too many bumps in the road and took a big step back after (temporarily) surprising the doubters in 2021-22. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as the Bulls have plenty of silver linings to work on moving forward.
Perhaps nothing is brighter than Coby White, who despite a dip in his box score statistics, seems to have improved in almost every aspect of the game. White’s handles, playmaking, and defensive awareness are the best we’ve seen from him since being selected 7th overall by the Bulls in 2019.
Coby had to go through a big change in the NBA, after a lifetime spent as the top offensive option for his teams, he had to humbly accept a role on the bench under Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine. When he was allowed to remove the shackles and truly let loose, however, Coby could really light it up.
We saw this clearly as the pro-am day of the Sonny Parker Unity Classic in Chicago on Tuesday, where Coby lit up the competition for a ridiculous 51 points. I can’t say I’m surprised he’s dominating the court, but the fluidity of White’s game has only continued to improve over the year, leaving many fans excited for what’s to come.
Coby White looks great and gives Bulls fans a lot of hope in 2023-24.
It’s also not because White can only do this against pro-am competition, because we’ve seen him do it at the NBA level as well. His opportunities were limited by being put in a reserve role in three of his four seasons in the league, but that didn’t stop him from making a big impression.
As a rookie, Coby became the first rookie to hit five or more three-pointers in three consecutive games. He was also the first rookie to score 30 or more points in consecutive games while coming off the bench. He even set the NBA record for most three-pointers made as a duo with Zach LaVine, proving just how dangerous he is on that end of the court.
Aside from Chicago’s All-Star duo of LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, White’s off-the-dribble shooting touch is unparalleled on this roster. He has the perfect mentors in place to help improve his game, and as he continues to improve other areas of his game, it’s getting harder to ignore how good Coby is in the right situation.
Fortunately, the Bulls locked Coby up to a more team-friendly three-year contract. For the player he is, I think $33 million is a fair price to pay. For the player he can be? That’s another story. Even if this season of Bulls basketball doesn’t produce a competitive roster, I firmly believe that the front office would be wise to hold on to Chicago’s next big potential breakout star.