Coby White is shooting at an elite clip from downtown
The Bulls have a win-loss record of 6-3 since November 30th. A vastly improved offense has led the Bulls to wins over some of the Eastern Conference’s best teams.
A primary reason for this turnaround is because of Coby White’s emergence into a star player.
White took a massive jump last season with his defense. Coby White has become a solid defender in the paint and on the perimeter. White’s incredible defense on defending league MVP Joel Embiid in the final moments led to the Bulls’ win on Monday.
This season Coby White has made another leap offensively. Taking him from a solid role player to an NBA star. White has now added a lethal 3-point shot to his arsenal. His shot is so good, he is shooting as well as Stephen Curry from 3.
Players shooting 40%+ 3PT on 200+ 3PA:
Steph Curry
Coby White
Bogdan Bogdanović pic.twitter.com/SOZwu6Rixl— StatMamba (@StatMamba) December 19, 2023
Coby White has emerged in the absence of Zach LaVine
The Bulls have been better without Zach LaVine on the court. That is a fact, it cannot be denied. The offensive stats are much better and the Bulls look like a real NBA team. The offense has a rhythm and gets everyone involved instead of LaVine dominating ball possession.
With LaVine gone Coby White has evolved. In 9 games without LaVine on the court Coby White is averaging 25.4 points-per-game. That is a career high average for the 23-year-old point guard.
LaVine’s absence has also allowed the Bulls to run another strong defensive guard like Ayo Dosunmu or Alex Caruso. Either of the previously mention players pair excellently with White creating a nightmare of a defensive backcourt for opponents. This was on full display on Dec 11th win White and Dosunmu were able to make Damian Lillard completely ineffective which led to a Bulls win over the Bucks.
Where do the Bulls go next?
Zach LaVine mentally checked out very early on this season and it’s noticeable. He has been trying to force his way out of Chicago for a while now. Let him, trade him, the team doesn’t need him. LaVine could be a solid number 2 option on a contending team, if he accepts that role.
the Bulls success without LaVine likely damages his trade value. Other GMs around the league surely must have concerns about LaVine’s impact seeing this stretch of the Bulls season. The team has looked entirely different without LaVine and has been able to get Wins against 3 of the top 10 teams in the Eastern Conference.
LaVine has done a lot for the Bulls, fans should be grateful for what he did for the franchise. But the time has come to move on from him. The front office and LaVine cannot agree with each other. LaVine also seems to have no place on the team. The team is infinitely better without him, its palpable.
The future of Chicago Bulls basketball is Coby White. It’s time to focus on White and build a winning team around him. White is now living up to his status as a top 10 draft pick. He’s young too, he can get even better, the rest of the league better watch out.
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