Coby White is finally back.
After missing the first eleven games of the season with a calf injury suffered late in the offseason, the Bulls guard officially made his long-awaited debut midway through the first quarter against the Utah Jazz. The Bulls trailed 16–12 at the time, but White wasted no time making an impact.
Coby White immediately impacted Chicago's offense
On his very first offensive possession of the year, White buried a moving three on the right wing off a baseline-out-of-bounds feed from Ayo Dosunmu. It was the type of shot that instantly took a ton of pressure on the Bulls’ offense, and especially Josh Giddey, by giving Chicago a legitimate perimeter threat in the halfcourt once again.
By the end of the first quarter, White looked exactly like the player Bulls fans remembered from last season. He knocked down two threes, grabbed a pair of rebounds, and generated open scoring opportunities for nearly everyone on the floor. Chicago’s offensive identity immediately transformed within minutes of him checking in.
Why Coby White changes everything
Through the season’s first eleven games, the Bulls have often relied on transition opportunities to survive, struggling to get out of their stagnant half-court offense. White’s return immediately changed that. The Jazz were forced to account for him on every possession, and the attention he commanded created the kind of spacing the Bulls had yet to see this season. His ability to break down defenders and force paint touches gave the Bulls an element they have been searching for since opening night.
White’s individual scoring and shot-creation obviously matter, but the real difference was seen in how much easier he makes everybody else's job while on the floor. His ability to attack closeouts and make quick decisions as he's driving to the rim opened doors that his teammates simply can’t open on their own.
Giddey thrives in transition, but White amplifies what Chicago can do when the game slows down. In the first quarter alone, multiple possessions saw White get two feet in the paint, leading to wide-open looks for Dosunmu, Jalen Smith, and Julian Phillips, arguably some of the cleanest shots they’ve had all season.
White as a stabilizer
While the Bulls have shown flashes offensively, consistency has arguably been their biggest issue. White’s return suggests the answer to that problem may have been sitting on the bench the entire time. Chicago exploded for an impressive 70 first-half points in its debut, and if that performance is any indication of what’s ahead, the offensive inconsistency can be considered as good as gone.
Coby White’s season debut showed exactly why he was so badly missed: he’s the exact player who allows the entire system to work so smoothly.