The Chicago Bulls underwent a radical shift in offensive philosophy this past season. After the offseason departures of Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan, and the arrival of Josh Giddey, Chicago put a renewed emphasis on pace.
In 2023–24, the Bulls ranked 28th in pace and 26th in transition points per game. Chicago leaned heavily on mid-range jumpers, leading the league with 14.6 mid-range field goal attempts per game.
A year later, the Bulls moved away from the mid-range, averaging just 6.4 attempts per game—26th in the league. In turn, Chicago ranked second in pace and third in transition points per game while also increasing its three-point volume.
Coby White is becoming one of the NBA's best transition scorers
Consequently, the Bulls’ revamped offensive identity produced a slew of standout numbers. Chief among them was Coby White's. The fifth-year guard led the league in transition points, ending Giannis Antetokounmpo’s six-year reign. White totaled 528 transition points, seven more than the second-place Antetokounmpo and 28 more than reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
League leader in transition points, since tracking began in 2015-16.
— Extra (@extrastats) October 5, 2025
Giannis was finally dethroned, though not by much (he was 2nd, with 521 points). pic.twitter.com/EKL83REpdk
However, it’s worth noting that Antetokounmpo’s streak of leading the NBA in fast-break points per game remains intact. The Greek Freak averaged 7.8 fast-break points per game last season, compared to White’s 7.1. He has now topped the league in that category for seven straight years.
Still, White’s accomplishment is impressive nonetheless. Dethroning Antetokounmpo is no small feat—and he did it with strong supporting numbers. His 54.1 percent field-goal percentage in transition surpassed that of fellow guards Ja Morant, Tyrese Maxey, and De’Aaron Fox.
Moreover, White’s turnover percentage was lower than Antetokounmpo’s, Morant’s, and even LeBron James’s. He was one of just eight players to average more than 5.0 fast-break points per game while keeping a turnover rate under 10 percent, posting 9.7 percent.
White’s rise to one of the NBA’s top transition scorers is surprising, even given Chicago’s emphasis on pushing the pace. Before last season, he had topped 4.0 transition points per game just once—in 2022–23, when he averaged 4.3.
Antetokounmpo’s impressive transition numbers show there’s still room for White to grow, especially considering he increased his fast-break scoring after the All-Star break in an expanded role. He’ll be competing with the likes of Giannis, Shai, and Morant for the league’s top transition scorer. It’s a tough title to claim, but with Chicago committed to pushing the pace, it’s within reach.