A month ago, the Celtics humiliated the drifting Bulls. A spanking of around thirty points which stuck Chicago at the bottom of the ranking with 5 victories for 14 defeats. A month later, these same Bulls are virtually qualified for the “play-in”, and they have just had a very good month of December with 9 victories in 14 matches.
For Coby White, this heavy setback in Boston was a turning point. “I repeat: there will always be obstacles, ups and downs. We are all competitors. We play at the highest level. We all want to win. Against Boston, we had the feeling that we had not been up to the task collectively. We weren't ready to play and we got crushed. This defeat hurt us. It was embarrassing for us to lose like that at the highest level. But we remained united. At that point we were at our lowest point and we could have split. Instead, we all grew closer. I think that match had an effect on the way we played in December. »
A nice margin for progress
While the Bulls limited the Sixers to 92 points, Coby White assures that he and his teammates still have plenty of room for improvement.
“In defense, we are making progress but we can defend even better with five, and in assists” chases Chicago back. “We can be more regular. As Alex (Caruso) said before, there are still times when we lose our identity. We don't circulate the ball, we don't defend with five… If we remove these gaps, we will have a better chance. »
Proof that things are getting better, the Bulls rank 16th in offensive efficiency, and 9th in defense, for the month of December. They finished the month with a positive differential, and since Zach LaVine's injury, the score is much better distributed. Tonight, against the Sixers, five players finished with 10 points or more.
“The season didn't start the way we wanted, but we always stayed positive and everyone here wants to see each other succeed. When you have teammates like that, things end up evolving sooner or later.” assures Coby White. “ We are altruistic and everyone is willing to contribute. We are playing the right way. We pass the ball around. The coach gives confidence to everyone: 'Be yourself; stay in the game plan; have confidence in yourself when the ball comes and do what you know how to do.'
While the Bulls will play 10 of their 15 away matches in January, it remains to be seen when and how Zach LaVine will fit into this playing identity. Answer in around ten days since he is barely returning to training .
