Coby White Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Coby White Back At Bulls’ Practice Facility

December 12th, 2021 at 1:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Reserve Bulls guard Coby White is heading back to the Advocate Center, Chicago’s practice facility, today, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). White had tested positive for COVID-19 on December 1. This marks his first time back since first being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

The Bulls have been hit hard by COVID-19 thus far this season. A return for White would still leave the Bulls with eight players in the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, after news arrived earlier today that All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine and reserve swingman Troy Brown Jr. had both entered COVID-19 protocols.

LaVine, Brown, DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu, Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr., Matt Thomas and Stanley Johnson all remain in protocols as of this writing. As we mentioned earlier today, Green could also clear protocols and return to the court in time for the Bulls’ next game on Tuesday. Starting center Nikola Vucevic also missed significant time earlier this season after contracting COVID-19.

Teams need to be able to suit up at least eight players to avoid a game being postponed. Assuming White can play, that would bring the Bulls’ tally of available players to 10, including Alfonzo McKinnie, who along with the now-out Johnson was added as a hardship exception player after so many Bulls were placed in protocols.

The 17-10 Bulls have lost their last two contests, to the Cavaliers and Heat, thanks in no small part to the absences of most of their players. They hope to right the ship against the 4-21 Pistons on Tuesday.

White has had spotty availability this season. Prior to missing the past two weeks with his coronavirus diagnosis, he also sat for the Bulls’ first 13 contests this year while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

Across nine games this year, the third-year combo guard is averaging just 6.1 PPG, 2.6 and 1.3 APG. These are modest numbers for White, but he is seeing significantly fewer touches than he had in his prior two NBA seasons due to a reduced role on a competitive roster. More worrying is his shooting line this season: a career-worst .349/.226/.571.

Zach LaVine, Troy Brown Jr. Join Seven Other Bulls In Protocols

December 12th, 2021 at 11:38am CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls star Zach LaVine has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Troy Brown Jr. has entered the protocols as well, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports (Twitter link), giving the team nine players affected by COVID-19.

Chicago was down to 11 available players Saturday night after Ayo Dosunmu and Stanley Johnson were both put in the protocols earlier in the day. The Bulls will need eight eligible players for Tuesday’s game in Detroit, and Wojnarowski suggests that postponements may be considered if the team’s outbreak continues (Twitter link). COVID-19 upended the NBA schedule early in 2020/21, but no games have been moved so far this season.

The team has already signed Johnson and Alfonzo McKinnie under the hardship exception and can continue to add players if necessary, points out Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

Chicago has a lighter schedule this week that could help alleviate the roster crunch. After Tuesday’s game, the Bulls will travel to Toronto on Thursday and will get two days off before hosting the Lakers next Sunday. Coby White and Javonte Green both have the potential to return during the week if they clear the protocols, K.C. Johnson tweets.

Under league rules, if LaVine and Brown tested positive, they will miss a minimum of 10 days unless they submit two consecutive negative tests more than 24 hours apart.

Central Notes: Johnson, Donovan, Dosunmu, Pistons

December 5th, 2021 at 2:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Spurs forward Keldon Johnson was apparently almost drafted by the Cavaliers. Johnson discussed his near-selection in an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link). The Cavaliers instead opted to draft Dylan Windler with the No. 26 pick in the 2019 draft, while Johnson was ultimately drafted by San Antonio with the No. 29 pick.

Injuries have limited Windler’s availability across two NBA seasons. Windler missed his entire 2019/20 rookie season with a leg injury. In just 48 games, Windler holds career averages of 4.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.1 APG over 14.5 MPG.

“I was expecting to go the Cavs,” Johnson said. “Going back to draft night, I just feel like it’s a blessing I landed with the Spurs.”

The 22-year-old small forward out of Kentucky is averaging 14.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 2.0 APG for the Spurs. He boasts a slash line of .469/.410/657.

The 13-10 Cavaliers have enjoyed a breakout 2021/22 season, currently good for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. One can only imagine what Cleveland would look like had the club selected Johnson instead of Windler, though in so doing the team may have played its way out of the third pick in the 2021 draft that netted them breakout rookie big man Evan Mobley out of USC.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan expects the NBA will adopt stricter COVID-19 policies with the winter holidays on the horizon, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago is currently missing guard Coby White and forward Javonte Green due to COVID-19 diagnoses. ‘‘I think that’s happening,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I don’t think there’s any question that’s happening. My guess is stricter policies than there have already been this year. ‘‘[The holidays], people are going to be around family. The way it’s moving right now, it’s getting a little stricter. For us right now it’s a lot stricter because we have two players that are positive.’’
Bulls rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu, a second-round draft pick out of Illinois, has earned rotation minutes in the season’s first quarter. K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago examines how Dosunmu is adjusting to playing at the NBA level. “I think I’m getting better each game,” the rookie said. “One thing I love about Coach Donovan is he shows so much tough love to me. After every game, whether I play a lot or I don’t play a lot, he always calls me over and gives me words of encouragement. Sometimes it may be good. Sometimes it may be bad. I take the constructive criticism and try to help myself become a better player because I know that he obviously sees something in me if he’s coaching me hard.”
The end result of the 2021/22 season for the Pistons will be measured more by player improvement than by the year-end win-loss tally, opines Rod Beard of the Detroit News. The youth-oriented club, led by forward Jerami Grant and 2021 top pick Cade Cunningham, is currently the bottom seed in the East with a 4-18 record.

Coby White Tests Positive For COVID-19

December 1st, 2021 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Coby White has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t join the team on its two-game road trip to New York and Brooklyn, head coach Billy Donovan said today (Twitter link via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic).

While Donovan didn’t say as much today, White will likely miss at least two or three more games due to his positive test. A player who contracts the coronavirus must sit out for at least 10 days or return two negative tests 24 hours apart before he’s cleared to return to action.

White’s 2021/22 debut was delayed as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. The 21-year-old has appeared in Chicago’s last nine games after missing the first 13, but has struggled to make an impact. He’s averaging just 6.1 PPG and 1.3 APG on .349/.226/.571 shooting in 17.6 minutes per contest and could be set back further by the effects of COVID-19.

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic also contracted the coronavirus this season and missed seven games. If White follows a similar timeline, he should be back in action before Christmas. Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, and Javonte Green are among the candidates for increased minutes with White sidelined.

The Bulls have resumed daily COVID-19 testing in the wake of White’s positive result, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBA Sports Chicago.

Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Carter, White, DeRozan

November 27th, 2021 at 7:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

There was plenty of nostalgia for Bulls center Nikola Vucevic on Friday night as he returned to Orlando for the first time since being traded in March, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Vucevic, who spent eight-and-a-half seasons with the Magic, got a warm reception from fans during player introductions and again after a video tribute.

“It was definitely emotional just being back in this building and seeing all the people I’ve met throughout the years and friendships I’ve built,” Vucevic said. “It was a lot to take in for sure. … It’s a special place for me and it always will be special for me to come back.”

Vucevic nearly missed his return to Orlando because of COVID-19, but he was able to start playing again Wednesday after being sidelined for about two weeks. After posting 16 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes against the Magic, he said his comeback is going well.

“It’s been a little better than I thought it would be, for sure. But I’m still not there 100%, which is expected,” Vucevic said of his conditioning. “It’s difficult because it’s not like an injury where you can do the bike or lift. For 10 days, I was not allowed to do anything. As much as I enjoy laying on my couch, after 10 days it’s not easy to come back. Just gotta work through it.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Wendell Carter Jr. was surprised to be sent to Orlando in the trade for Vucevic, but he said he’ll be “forever grateful” to the Bulls for drafting him with the seventh pick in 2018, Johnson tweets.
With 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting, Coby White turned in his best performance Friday in the seven games since returning from shoulder surgery, notes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. White has also looked more active on defense than he was in his first two NBA seasons, according to Schaefer. “It’s been a real focus point since I’ve been back,” White said. “We’re so good defensively, I’m just trying to fit in.”
DeMar DeRozan has transformed his game by moving to power forward, per Seerat Sohi of The Ringer. The switch has been happening gradually over the last two seasons, but it became necessary after DeRozan signed with a Bulls team that already had Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso in the backcourt.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Caruso, Defense, White

November 19th, 2021 at 5:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls writer Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times recently had a discussion with star wing Zach LaVine about potentially becoming a max player this summer. Cowley had previously been skeptical of the team committing so much money to LaVine — his maximum five-year contract in free agency would be a projected $207MM (or $241MM+ if he’s All-NBA, which is certainly possible).

LaVine says he respects Cowley’s opinion, but that doesn’t mean he agrees. He points to his improved defense as one way in which he’ll prove he’s worth the max.

“It’s your job to have opinions, and one of my jobs as a professional athlete and a guy that’s extremely competitive is to go out there and try and prove people wrong,” LaVine said. “Am I going to get that right every time? No, but that’s the fun of sports. I get to have chips on my shoulder and bring that extra stuff to the game.

“Look, I get it — I do want to improve on everything, and I know that I haven’t had the best narrative for defense. I know people know me as a hard worker, a great guy, someone that goes out there and can obviously score the hell out the ball. But I want to be known as a winner and a complete player. I mean, I’m not putting all this work in just to be a regular guy in the NBA. I think I’m proving that each and every year.”

Here’s more from the Windy City:

Free agent acquisition Alex Caruso has been a difference-maker for the Bulls, but that doesn’t mean he’s focused on individual defensive honors, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry notes that Caruso is tied for the league lead in steals per game (2.5) and is second in the league in deflections (4.2). “Carushow” also has stellar advanced stats on defense; he leads the league in Steal Percentage (4.1), is tied for seventh in Defensive Win Shares (0.8), fourth in Defensive Box Plus/Minus (2.8), and 12th in Defensive Rating (101.3), per Basketball-Reference.
In the same piece, Mayberry says that Caruso and sign-and-trade acquisition Lonzo Ball have anchored the team’s surprisingly stout defense. Many thought the Bulls would struggle on that end, but they’re currently eighth in the league with a 104.9 defensive rating. Ball is tied with Caruso for seventh in the league in Defensive Win Shares (0.8) while chipping in 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game, all strong stats for a guard.
Coby White is trying to find his rhythm after being sidelined for several months after shoulder surgery, Cowley writes in another article for the Sun-Times. White has gone scoreless in his first two games, going 0-for-4 from the field in 21 total minutes. He says his new teammates are happy to have him back on the court. “What’s been nice is all the guys have accepted me, they’ve brought me in. It could be really different. A new team having a great year, a new guy coming into the mix, but they don’t really care about any of that. They just want to see me on the floor again,” White said. He’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
Check out our Bulls team page for the latest notes and rumors from Chicago.

Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Vucevic, Ball, New ID

November 15th, 2021 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Coby White is expected to make his season debut on Monday night against the Lakers but rookie Ayo Dosunmu will still get some minutes, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

‘I think [Dosunmu has] played too well and has played some good basketball for us,’’ head coach Billy Donovan said. ‘‘We’ve got to find a way to utilize both of those guys.”

We have more on the Bulls:

Nikola Vucevic will remain in the league’s health and safety protocols for at least a few more days but he’s experiencing only mild symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19, Cowley adds in the same story. ‘‘I talked to him [Saturday] a little bit,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘The symptoms haven’t gotten worse. Kind of feels like more he’s got a cold. He’s doing fine.”
Lonzo Ball says he has no hard feelings toward the Lakers and Pelicans organizations, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. He was traded by the Lakers in the Anthony Davis blockbuster, then came to Chicago prior to this season in a sign-and-trade transaction. “I wanted to come to a place where I felt like I fit, a place that wanted me for me and didn’t want me to change,” he said. “Chicago is the best place for me.” He looks at the trade that sent him to New Orleans as a positive. “I think it helped my career personally,” he said. “In the long run, it made me a better person and a better player.”
The Bulls should be a factor in the Eastern Conference race all season, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. Due to the team’s roster makeover, the individual pieces make the whole more than the sum of the parts, masking individual weaknesses, Hollinger adds. Chicago’s identity has changed from a soft team to one that plays pesky defense and can dominate opponents in transition.

Bulls’ Coby White To Return From Shoulder Surgery On Monday

November 14th, 2021 at 7:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls guard Coby White will make his long-awaited return to Chicago’s lineup on Monday night, head coach Billy Donovan said today (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).

White has missed all of the 8-4 Bulls’ 2021/22 season to this point while recovering from an offseason surgery on a labrum injury in his left shoulder. The Bulls will face off against the Lakers on the second night of a Los Angeles back-to-back. They play the Clippers later this evening.

A return to action Monday for White had been floated as a possibility earlier this weekend, with the caveat being that he remain healthy in five-on-five contact scrimmages for consecutive days. It appears he has cleared that hurdle.

Selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2019 draft out of North Carolina, White has had an up-and-down first two seasons with the Bulls. During the offseason, front office head honchos Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley almost completely reshaped the team’s roster around All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine. White is the only other Bull who was on the roster a year ago.

The 6’5″ combo guard is projected to bring some much-needed scoring punch to the team’s bench lineups. Through his first two NBA seasons, the 21-year-old averaged 14.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.8 APG, on .406/.357/.848 shooting splits.

Bulls Notes: White, Dosunmu, LaVine, Caruso

November 13th, 2021 at 7:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls guard Coby White could be cleared to return Monday if he responds well to a pair of weekend workouts, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. White, who underwent shoulder surgery in June, practiced with the team today and took part in a five-on-five scrimmage afterward with a few players and coaches. He’s scheduled for another workout Sunday and will return to the lineup if that goes well.

Coach Billy Donovan plans to ease White back into the rotation slowly, which means rookie Ayo Dosunmu will still get regular minutes. The team wants to be sure that White’s shoulder can hold up under contact, which he just began this week.

“That’s the biggest thing right now,” Donovan said. “How much can we in those situations, whether it be the G League or some of these low-minute runs, get him contact? And he’s not shying away from it. He’s not avoiding it. He’s not afraid of it. It’s not that at all. It’s just a matter of he has to get back physically to where he was doing those things.”

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls struggled Friday in their first game without center Nikola Vucevic, who is in the health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19. Vucevic didn’t travel with his teammates on their five-game road trip, and Donovan called on Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to alter their playing style while he’s sidelined (video link from NBC Sports Chicago). “I think for Zach and DeMar, certainly with Vooch being a center and not here, they’re going to have to understand there’s going to have to be even more sacrifice in terms of moving and cutting and trusting the pass and moving the ball, and a lot of times it’s going to end up in someone else’s hands,” Donovan said.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who served as an assistant with Team USA at the Summer Olympics, was impressed by the way LaVine handled his role on that team, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. LaVine is one of the NBA’s top scorers, but he moved into a reserve role in the Olympics and provided energy and “pressure defense” when the team needed it. “I loved getting to know him. I thought his willingness to take on a role off the bench for us was huge,” Kerr said. “He just got it. He understood exactly what we needed.”
Kerr also praised former Pacific Division rival Alex Caruso, who signed with the Bulls in free agency, according to Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports. Kerr called Caruso a “great pickup” and said he’s glad to see him in the Eastern Conference.

Health Updates: White, Butler, Claxton, Harris

November 11th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Coby White expects to make his 2021/22 debut “real soon,” he said on Wednesday, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. White, who has been recovering from June shoulder surgery, practiced with the Windy City Bulls on Tuesday and took part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with Chicago’s G League team, then went through shootaround with the NBA club on Wednesday.

“It’s been a long road, it’s been a long five-to-six months (of rehab), so it’s a blessing to be back out there and playing again,” White said after that shootaround, according to Schaefer. “I’m pretty much fully back (at practice) right now.”

White will travel with the Bulls for their five-game Western Conference road trip, which begins on Friday. Asked on Wednesday if he’ll play at all during that trip, White replied, “Maybe. It’s a possibility.”

Here are a few more health updates from around the NBA:

Heat star Jimmy Butler was forced to exit the team’s Wednesday loss to the Lakers early due to a sprained right ankle (link via ESPN). Head coach Erik Spoelstra had no post-game update on Butler’s status, so it remains unclear if the injury will sideline him for a few games or if he’ll be able to return quickly.
Nets center Nicolas Claxton will likely miss at least a couple more games, but he appears to be nearing a return from the illness that has sidelined him since October 25, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I don’t know if it was a disease or what, but he was just ill. I can’t really say more than that,” head coach Steve Nash said. “But he started ramping back up again (on Wednesday). So I don’t know how long that process will take. I think they have to assess where he’s at, and then see how he goes and then we’ll figure out when he can play again.”
Tobias Harris has missed the team’s last six games due to a positive COVID-19 test, but Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said on Tuesday that the veteran forward is doing better and should return sooner rather than later, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. Harris is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Toronto — if he’s unable to play tonight, he’s probably a good bet to be back on Saturday.