One of the biggest questions the Chicago Bulls have to answer next season is “what is Coby White?”
Is he a star they can build around, a complementary role player or a future trade asset?
White made a leap last season, finishing 2nd in the Most Improved Player voting and fans are eager to see if he’ll reach another level in a featured role where he will be the #1 scoring option.
White has had some big games for the Bulls, but do his best past performances forecast a guy who is going to be an All-Star?
Coby White’s statistics: His top-5 games for the Chicago Bulls
Coby White has never scored 40 points in a game, which is not a great sign that he’s going to be a star, as 40-point nights are a norm in the modern NBA.
There were over 200 40-point games last season by 57 different players, but Coby White wasn’t one of them.
It’s fair to point out that White was never the #1 option in the offense and only shot between 8-12 shots per game in his first four seasons, but given his ability, it’s surprising he hasn’t cracked 40. White has scored 30 or more points 14 times in his 5-year career.
He still only took 15 shots per game last season in his breakout year, so with increased attempts, it’s a fair bet that White will score 40 or more next season. He’s gotten close several times in his career.
#5: 33 points vs. Minnesota Timberwolves on 2/6/2024
#4: 35 points vs. OKC Thunder on 2/25/2020
#3: 35 points vs. Charlotte Hornets on 1/31/2024
#2: 36 points vs. Sacramento Kings on 1/6/2021
#1: 37 points vs. Sacramento Kings on 3/4/2024
You know the Kings are a team White will have circled on the 2024-25 schedule, as he has had his two highest scoring games against them.
One thing all of these games had in common is that White was efficient. He hit at least 52.4 percent of his field goal attempts on all of these games on between 19-23 shots, so these weren’t just games with White chucking a ton of shots.
This is a good omen, as White figures to get at least this many attempts per game next season, so if he can get close to that kind of efficiency, we’ll see a bump in his scoring numbers.
These top-5 games were also ones in which White took and made 3-point shots. He had at least nine attempts from long range in all of these games and as many as 13, knocking down 40 percent or more in all of them.
White should be the beneficiary of more long-range attempts with Josh Giddey running the offense and looking to him as the first option. White will need to improve his catch-and-shoot numbers working off Giddey, and if he does, we’ll see another bump in his scoring numbers.
Next season is all about White proving he can maintain or improve his efficiency with more pressure and more attempts.