"I had a lot of time to work":Coby White on how he is on pace for career-best season, and Bulls' brand new fast play (Exclusive)
After finishing second in Most Improved Player of the Year voting in 2023-24, Chicago Bulls guard Coby White has continued to elevate his game.
After delivering a 29-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, he's averaging a career-high 20.4 points and 1.5 steals, along with 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. White attributes these results are due to the diligent development work he has put in since the Bulls failed to qualify for the postseason.
"It was just about improving on a lot of different things," White told Sportskeeda. "The summer is long, especially since we didn’t make the playoffs, so I had a lot of time to work."
Instead of focusing on specific areas, White remains intent on growing his overall game. He believes there is plenty of time in his career to reach new heights as opposed to focusing on a few things.
I try not to pinpoint just one or two things since I’m still young and focused on overall growth," White explained to Sportskeeda. "I just want to develop my game in whatever way possible and apply that in real time on the court."
The list of people involved in the process that White gives credit to for helping him to perform at such a high level is long. Between the coaching staff, the front office, his personal circle, and God, he feels the benefits of a "great support system."
"I think it’s just continuing to grow and get better every summer, taking every opportunity I can to develop my game," White told Sportskeeda. "I have a lot of people in our organization, especially my teammates, who believe in me and push me every day to be better. The coaching staff, front office, my family, friends—everyone plays a part. I’ve got a great support system. Most importantly, I think God has been blessing me a lot. He’s been in my corner since day one, guiding me, so I give Him all the glory."
Coby White is shooting at a career-high from the perimeter
Attempting a career-high 9.2 threes per game, White has continued to significantly increase his perimeter shooting volume over the previous three seasons. He's getting 2.2 more attempts per game this season despite averaging 2.7 fewer minutes. Despite this increase, he's still converting at a 37.3% clip.
White's continued growth in perimeter shooting this season is the realization of a multi-year process he's emphasized since entering the NBA in 2019. However, the addition of Peter Patton as the Director of Player Development in 2023 has only helped to fuel White's growth as a player.
"It’s been a big improvement for me. When I first came into the league, I didn’t shoot it as well as I wanted," White explained to Sportskeeda. "’I’ve worked on it a lot, especially with Peter Patton—he came over from Dallas and has been working with me a lot on my shot. Just putting in the time and effort has helped me a lot.
A stylistic change the Bulls are adopting is to play at a faster tempo by pushing the ball whenever possible. White believes this has only helped his game, enabling him to get up an even higher volume of threes and to make plays.
This year, our team wants to play faster and take more threes, so I’m trying to contribute to that if it’s helping the team," White told Sportskeeda. "Playing faster has helped me get up and down the court more, get into transition, and get to the basket."
Continued Focus on Finishing
At 6-foot-5, White is a bigger guard with the physical tools necessary to be a physical finisher on drives. However, he's shifty with his handle and has an impressive use of change of pace. Early in his career, he struggled to finish consistently, but he's now producing 1.3 points per possession (PPP) on layups to begin the 2024-25 season, which is a meaningful improvement from last season.
"Finishing is something I struggled with early in my career, so I continue to work on it every day," White told Sportskeeda. " I still have a long way to go, especially with playing more patiently in the paint, but I’m focused on improving."
In order to improve as a finisher, just like in any part of his game, White is always studying his peers to see what he can apply to his game. He named players like T.J. McConnell and Jalen Brunson as players he has noted for their patience and approach to not killing their dribble. While Kyrie Irving is a great example to follow, he feels he's in a league of his own in terms of talent. White focuses on studying players who have to leverage pivots and fakes more.
"This summer, I watched a lot of guys like T.J. McConnell and Jalen Brunson, how they play in the paint with patience and keep their dribble alive," White detailed to Sportskeeda. "Of course, everyone watches Kyrie, but he’s in a league of his own, so I focus more on players who use pivots, fakes, and that sort of thing. That’s something I want to add to my game."
Adapting to the Bulls' Backcourt
As the Bulls continue to work to find a winning formula, White remains an integral element of their plans. Among the recent changes the front office made was to acquire Josh Giddey in the offseason in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Alex Caruso. With Giddey being a proficient passer and initiator, White feels it's an adjustment, but the game comes that much easier for him.
"My career with this team has put me in multiple roles, especially as our roster changes," White told Sportskeeda. "Last year, I was more on the ball, but this year, with guys like Lonzo and Giddey, who are really talented passers, I’m adjusting. They make it easy because they’re willing to make the right play every time. It’s an adjustment, but it’s been a smooth one thanks to them."
With White being in his seventh NBA season, the 24-year-old feels he's continued to grow as a leader. He credits the teammates and coaches he has for encouraging him to lean into being a vocal leader. He admits that sometimes, as an emotional player, the emotion of competition doesn't always mesh with being a leader, but that's part of his continued growth in that area.
"I think I’ve grown a lot as a leader, especially in finding my voice," White told Sportskeeda. "I have teammates and coaches who push me to be vocal, though I still feel like I have a long way to go. I’m a naturally emotional guy, so sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me, and that doesn’t always work with being a leader. But when you have a locker room full of guys who want to win, it makes things easier."
Another change the Bulls underwent this summer was the departure of DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings. After playing with a poised veteran like DeRozan, White noted the poise his former teammate played with and tries to emulate that mentality. Since their skill-sets contrast, he doesn't copy his game from that standpoint, but the "emotional stability" was a great learning resource.
"For me, it’s his calmness. He never gets sped up or overwhelmed," White said of DeRozan to Sportskeeda. "I was watching a recent game he played against Miami, and he made some tough shots and smart passes in the fourth quarter. I just try to emulate that part of his game—the calmness, the clear mind. Our styles are different, so I don’t try to copy his game, but I admire his emotional stability."
With a 5-8 record ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Houston Rockets, the Bulls rank 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with a need to rack up some wins. As Chicago navigates the situation, White's impact will serve as a crucial piece in solving that puzzle.