Bulls guard Coby White emerging on the national stage with hot streak
DENVER — The priorities for Coby White are simple: God, family, team, hard work, and winning — likely in that order.
So while he did hear the chants of “Coby White … Coby White …“ behind enemy lines in Denver late in his 37-point performance on Monday, there was no chest thumping about it afterwards.
“That was kind of crazy,” White said. “That’s not the first time we’ve (heard chants), there’s a lot of Bulls fans in Denver. A lot of times the last couple years we’ve had Bulls chants in Denver.”
When he was then reminded it was “Coby White” chants, and not a single one about the Bulls, he said with a laugh, “You see, I’m trying to deflect here.”
Deflect and downplay all you want, Mr. White, you have arrived in the national spotlight, like it or not.
“There’s a reason why he was Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference the last two weeks,” coach Billy Donovan said of White and his ongoing breakout. “I would imagine around the league they recognize that.”
That they do.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone fell all over himself praising White, and that was before the guard took the court at Ball Arena and fell just short of dropping a 40-burger.
Not a real shock considering the scoring roll White has been on.
Since Zach LaVine was traded on Feb. 2, White has averaged 24 points per game on 46.2% shooting from the field and 36.1% from three, getting to the free throw line 5.3 times per game.
Where it really gets impressive, however, is his flammable scoring since the start of this month. White’s averaged 29.8 points per game, shooting 50% from the field and 36.1% from three, getting to the free throw line 6.9 times per game.
Only MVP-candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Lakers’ Luka Doncic, and Orlando’s Paolo Banchero have played in at least 10 games over that time and averaged more.
Solid company to be kept but not what Donovan was embracing.
“No one is going to talk about it but one of the best plays he made in the (Nuggets) game in my opinion was in the fourth quarter they were making a run, and he kind of put his chest right out, kind of jumped and went vertical, took it on the chest, and I think (Peyton) Watson missed it and we rebounded the ball, and he got out on the break again,” Donovan described. “But he’s doing those things. He’s not just scoring.”
If there’s been a knock on White’s game the last few seasons, it’s come on the defensive side of the ball. He knows it, acknowledges it, and has worked to improve it. The shot can come and go from game-to-game, but defensive effort translates and is controllable.
White knows that.
And it’s that mentality that leads to winning. While the scoring numbers have been impressive, the rise in the standings is where White’s mind goes to.
“I try not to take these moments for granted,” White replied, when asked about his scoring streak. “I try to be grateful for them, be thankful that I’ve got these guys around me that continue to push me every day and give me confidence.
“Most importantly we’re putting together wins and like we say we’re going to keep building together.”
That’s why it’s hard to put a ceiling on White, even in Year 6.
“If you look at his evolution as a player from his rookie year, second year, to where he is now, I mean the amount of work and drive,” Donovan added. “That’s the thing I love about him is he’s completely, completely driven with being the very best he can be. He holds himself to a really high standard and I know when he doesn’t play to the level he thinks he should, he feels like he’s letting himself and his team down.
“One of the reasons he’s been able to grow so dramatically is he never, never looks outward on why he’s not performing. Everything takes place inwardly on what he has to do. I have great respect and admiration for that.”