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Things have come together for Chicago Bulls guard Coby White this season in ways they simply have not in the past.
After entering the league as a combo guard, White toiled away for years, going back and forth between playing both lead- and off-guard. This season, though, he is thriving in the role he was drafted to fill. And it comes at a time when the Bulls need it most.
“This is the official beginning of the campaign: Coby White NBA All-Star 2024. NBA 3pt Contest 2024,” Alex Caruso said via the team in a promo for White. “Indianapolis, he’ll see you there.”
Caruso didn’t just hype up White for the promo, though.
“We got one last thing. We got Coby White 2024 3-point contest. Get that gong [sic] everybody,” Caruso said during his postgame media session, per NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson on December 19. “He’s trying to put me in there. We’re not doing that. He’s the show.”
“If they invite me, obviously it would be a blessing and an honor,” White said of a potential All-Star selection, per Johnson. “I’d have to think about it. … I use that time as a mental reset.”
Coby White, Bulls Trending Up
Entering play on December 20, White, 23, is averaging career-high marks across the board with 17.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds this season. He is shooting 42.4% from beyond the arc – also a career-high – and is just a hair under 1.0 steals per game.
He has especially been on a tear over the last month.
The former No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 draft, White is averaging 23.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.2 rebounds over the last 14 games.
There’s a lot to love about Coby’s play over the last few weeks.
His game-winning defense on Joel Embiid in the final seconds takes the cake tonight 😤
“I’m just playin’, I’m just hoopin,” White said during his walkoff interview following the Bulls’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers, per Sam Smith of Bulls.com on December 19. “I give credit to my teammates, my coaching staff, the organization – they believe in me and continue to believe in me. That gives me confidence each and every day to go out there and be myself.”
White has turned things up over the last nine games. The Bulls have been without Zach LaVine for each of those contests. Without his All-Star backcourt mate in the lineup, White has averaged 25.4 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.4 rebounds.
It’s surely a pleasant trend for the Bulls.
They re-signed the former North Carolina Tar Heel to a three-year, $36 million contract this past offseason as a restricted free agent. He had spent much of the last two seasons on the trading block.
Bulls Lose Another Key Veteran to Injury
Caruso has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. And LaVine is expected to return in the first week of January, per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes on December 18. The Bulls also lost veteran forward Torrey Craig for the next two months at least.
“He cares about winning and defense. That’s it. He takes pride in every matchup he has. He never wants a double-team. And especially on the defensive end, he’s always talking and teaching us young guys,” White said, per Johnson on December 19. “And the one thing I love about him is he’s not afraid to use his voice.”
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Bulls’ Alex Caruso Sends Message on Coby White: ‘Get That Going’