Four matches, four starts. In preseason, Coby White becomes obvious in the eyes of Billy Donovan in the lead, while the Bulls only have one preparation match left to play before the restart.
Enough to fully consider him as the team’s new starting playmaker? Not yet, but the person concerned in any case appreciates his new responsibilities.
“ I’m getting used to it, especially being around the starters. I never really did that, I didn’t play with them much because my first two seasons with them (Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic) I was coming off the bench. So it’s an adjustment period for me, but it’s fun, I love the challenge and I’m getting better “, explain thus the one which extended in Illinois this summer.
For now, Coby White averages 13.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds in preseason, 58% shooting (including 40% 3-pointers) and 71% shooting. Which makes him, on a fairly small sample (23 minutes), the third best scorer and the best passer of Chicago over four matches.
Confidence pumped up
What appeals is the ability of the 7th choice of the 2019 Draft to be aggressive towards the circle, so as to cause good shifts and generate interesting shooting positions. An asset compared to Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter or Alex Caruso, even if he sometimes tends to be more expensive than them with his risky play.
“ There will inevitably be difficulties, because I am not perfect », he readily admits. “ I haven’t played with a ball in, what, three years? I’m not trying to make excuses, but I have the feeling that the team and the coaching staff trust me. If I end up being the starting point guard, I’m not going to take it for granted, that’s what I always say. Instead, I will try to take advantage of every opportunity I have. »
Aged only 23, Coby White remains – despite increasing percentages – on the worst statistical exercise of his career (9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists) but, in 2020/21, we remember that he peaked at 15.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds on average. Beyond that, eager to take a step forward, he seems to have matured.
“ When you’re young, you can fall into this thing of saying: ‘I’m still young.’ Especially on a team where there are older guys who have won, who have made the playoffs several times “, he declared last week. “ So you start to put this thing in your head, to say to yourself: ‘They know more than me. They know better than me. My opinion doesn’t matter’. But I didn’t know how much people respected my opinion and I misjudged my relationship with each member of the team until last year. I continue to grow in this area and it feels natural to me at this point. »
| Coby White | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | CHI | 65 | 26 | 39.4 | 35.4 | 79.1 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 13.2 |
| 2020-21 | CHI | 69 | 31 | 41.6 | 35.9 | 90.1 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 15.1 |
| 2021-22 | CHI | 61 | 28 | 43.3 | 38.5 | 85.7 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 12.7 |
| 2022-23 | CHI | 74 | 23 | 44.3 | 37.2 | 87.1 | 0.2 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 9.7 |
| Total | 269 | 27 | 41.9 | 36.7 | 85.4 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 12.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
