There was a brief moment when Chicago Bulls fans weren’t entirely sure they wanted Coby White back in the lineup. As absurd as that sounds, the hesitation had less to do with White himself and more to do with not disrupting the Bulls’ tremendous chemistry through the first five games—a stretch in which Billy Donovan’s team remained undefeated.
Now, though, Chicago sits at 6–5 and has lost four straight. The Bulls need a spark, and White is built to deliver one. The 25-year-old paced the team in scoring last season with 20.4 points per game, then elevated his play after the All-Star break, pouring in 24.5 per night and claiming March’s Player of the Month award.
Coby White’s offense set to energize Chicago
The North Carolina product will add an element to the Bulls’ offense that it has largely lacked this season—downhill attacking and deep shooting. Josh Giddey has emerged as a dangerous driver, but he’s not the quick-twitch athlete White is. Giddey leans on his size and craft to score in the paint, while White uses his speed to attack and collapse defenses.
Moreover, White is a terrific transition scorer, having totaled the most fastbreak points in the league last season. The seventh-year guard averaged 7.1 transition points per game, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo on a per-game basis.
Perhaps where White will provide the most value is through his three-point proficiency. Last season, with a similar roster, the Bulls averaged 15.4 made threes per game, third-most in the NBA. This year, Chicago is down to 13.5 makes per game and is attempting eight fewer threes overall.
A season ago, White knocked down 2.9 three-pointers per game at a 37.0 percent clip. He finished with the 15th-most made threes in the league. And he’s not just a reliable marksman, he’s one with legitimate deep range.
White made 149 of his 216 three-point attempts from the 25–29 foot range, shooting nearly 37 percent. He averaged 2.0 makes per game from that distance last season. No current Bull is matching that mark—Nikola Vucevic comes closest at 1.7 per game, while every other teammate is averaging 1.3 or fewer.
Although the Bulls have had success this season, going 6–5 against their toughest schedule yet, White’s return is a welcome boost. His versatile offensive game should invigorate an offense that has stalled recently. Missing Giddey for two straight games certainly didn’t help, but the Bulls have scored more than 120 points in only one of their last seven contests.