Coby White Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Central Notes: Okoro, Dosunmo, White, Warren

November 9th, 2021 at 10:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro continues to recover from the strained left hamstring that has caused him to sit for seven straight games. A source tells Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that, provided he continues trending in the right direction, Okoro could be in line for a return as soon as Wednesday against the Wizards.

Fedor adds that Okoro could merit consideration as Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s choice to replace injured guard Collin Sexton in the club’s starting lineup. Sexton will be sidelined for a while with a meniscus tear. The Cavaliers have not yet determined a timeline for Sexton’s recuperation, as that hinges on whether or not the tear will need to be surgically repaired.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Rookie Bulls shooting guard Ayo Dosunmu, the No. 38 pick in the 2021 draft out of Illinois, has carved out serious rotation minutes for a depleted roster so far. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders just how long Dosunmu will be able to stick in Chicago’s lineup. Cowley notes that Dosunmu has displaced swingman Troy Brown Jr., the No. 15 pick in the 2019 draft out of Oregon, in the club’s rotation. Dosunmu has averaged 17.8 MPG across the team’s last five contests. ‘‘He’s got the ‘it’ factor,” head coach Billy Donovan raved. ‘‘And he’s got a great drive. He’s incredibly motivated.”
The Bulls have announced (via Twitter) that they have assigned third-year combo guard Coby White to their NBA G League club, the Windy City Bulls. White suffered a left shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery over the summer, and has yet to play in a game this season for a revamped Chicago roster.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is taking the long view when it comes to determining a recovery timeline for small forward T.J. Warren, according to James Boyd of Yahoo Sports. Warren has missed all but four games of the last two seasons due to a left foot injury. “I know that there’s some stuff out there that’s talking about a timeline for him to return possibly late December or January,” Carlisle said. “This has turned into more of a long-term thing. I just think it’s unfair to an athlete, you know, to be put up against a timeline like this. He’s doing phenomenally well compared to where he was nine or 10 weeks ago.”

Eastern Notes: White, Bertans, Diallo, Pistons, Hornets

November 7th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls guard Coby White is likely nearing his return from shoulder surgery, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. White faced live contact after the team’s practice on Sunday, a strong sign that the 21-year-old is progressing well in his rehab.

“He’s moving closer and closer to getting to a point where he’s going to be cleared to practice,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s getting a chance to do obviously more contact. I’d like to see him against our guys.”

White is coming off a season where he averaged 15.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 42% from the floor and 36% from deep. Despite his absence, the Bulls have opened the season with a strong 6-3 start.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

Wizards forward Davis Bertans remains week-to-week due to an ankle sprain, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bertans is in the second season of a five-year, $80MM deal he signed with the team roughly a year ago. Players such as Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija have seen increased playing time during his absence.
Free agent big man Cheick Diallo is joining the Pistons‘ G League affiliate, James Edwards III of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Diallo, a four-year NBA veteran, last played in Spain. He’s played 180 NBA games since being drafted No. 33 overall in 2016.
The Hornets‘ poor defense is largely to blame for their recent slide, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. The team has lost three straight games, allowing 113, 114 and 140 points, respectively. Charlotte currently holds the ninth-best record in the East at 5-5.

Bulls Notes: Williams, Vucevic, Dosunmu, White

November 7th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls forward Patrick Williams is back with the team after having surgery on his left wrist last Sunday, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. It will be several months before doctors can determine whether Williams is able to return for the end of the season or the playoffs, and he wants to stay as involved as possible. That means joining his teammates for an upcoming road trip if the medical staff approves.

“You’d like him around the team, but he’s going to have some difficulties sleeping, just because he has to pretty much keep that hand in a position where he really does no movement until he gets the cast off,” coach Billy Donovan explained. “That’s what the medical staff will talk about. We’ll have discussions on what is in his best interest there. It’s such a detailed surgery he went through, you don’t want to get into anything that disrupts what’s been done. They may recommend against the travel.’’

Donovan adds that he hasn’t talked to executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas about acquiring a possible replacement for Williams. With the season only a couple of weeks old, their conversations have focused on the current personnel.

“We haven’t talked about any of that stuff,’’ Donovan said. “Eight games in, these guys need time to play with each other. I think we’re both excited about the team. We haven’t talked about anything, ‘Hey, going forward, let’s add this.’ None of that. It’s been more about our team and where we can get better.’’

There’s more from Chicago:

Nikola Vucevic‘s low-post opportunities have decreased after the Bulls added more perimeter scoring in the offseason, but he’s not concerned about his new role, Cowley adds in the same piece. The coaching staff prefers to have him initiating the offense from the top of the arc or operating out of the pick and roll. “Billy does want the ball to go through me a lot on the high post and play through that, especially if we don’t get much out of our initial action,’’ Vucevic said. ‘‘He wants me to flash to the ball and get actions out of that. It’s pretty similar . . . to something I’ve done for years to try to be more of a facilitator.’’
Ayo Dosunmu has become a rare second-round pick who is able to contribute right away, Cowley adds in a separate story. Taken 38th in this year’s draft, Dosunmu has earned a spot in the rotation and is averaging 12.8 minutes per night through his first eight games.
Coby White, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, was able to take part in light-contact shooting drills at Friday’s practice, per Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune. However, there’s still not a set timetable for him to return, with Donovan saying, “I don’t know how close he is.”

Central Notes: LeVert, Cade, Bulls, Williams, White

October 31st, 2021 at 4:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pacers swingman Caris LeVert made his season debut on Saturday after a stress fracture sidelined him during training camp. LeVert learned a lot from the way he was thrown into the deep end last season following his return from a kidney surgery in March 2021, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. After just one post-surgery practice, the Pacers’ prior regime under embattled former head coach Nate Bjorkgren had LeVert play for 27 minutes of game action. LeVert had not yet communicated to the team that he was ready to play.

“I’m like, ‘Damn, OK, thrown right into it,” LeVert said of his prior experience. This season, under new head coach Rick Carlisle, the Pacers took a more measured approach with LeVert’s return from the stress fracture.

LeVert, the club’s starting small forward, suited up for Indiana’s seventh game of the young season, a 97-94 loss to the Raptors. Across 16 minutes of action, the 27-year-old LeVert poured in 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Despite losing the game, the 1-6 Pacers must be grateful to have gained LeVert following the injury layoff.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

No. 1 Pistons draft pick Cade Cunningham is looking forward to making his own mark in the NBA, after several of his fellow 2021 rookies have already made an impact on the young NBA season, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “My class is full of big-time talent,” Cunningham said. “So I think it kind of motivates me more to be more of myself. I’m used to us pushing each other to be better. Now I’m excited to get my chance to do my thing.” In his NBA debut, a 110-103 victory over the Magic, Cunningham made just one field goal for two points. The 6’8″ guard out of Oklahoma State also logged seven rebounds, two assists and one block in 19 minutes of action.
After holding on for a solid 107-99 home court victory against the previously-undefeated Jazz last night, the 5-1 Bulls appear to be for real. The club, featuring 10 new players this season, is showcasing a new on-court persona, predicated around a fast pace and willingness to take free throws, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “This, from an identity standpoint, is how we want to play,” head coach Billy Donovan said after the victory. “I thought this was one of our better games from start to finish. For the most part, the consistency was there for how we need to play.” The club’s surprisingly-great defense held Utah to just 38% shooting from the field while making them cough up the ball for 20 turnovers.
Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic posits that the Bulls are looking like one of the better teams in the league during this young season after the Jazz win. Mayberry highlights Chicago’s stellar, overpowering defense, noting that the Jazz had an awful 96.1 offensive rating on the night. Mayberry adds that reserves Derrick Jones Jr. and Tony Bradley exhibited plenty of defensive promise with their extended rotational minutes Saturday.
Though the Bulls could have enough depth this season to weather the injury absences of third-year guard Coby White and second-year forward Patrick Williams, both lottery selections, the team is missing out on key development windows for its two young players, opines Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley says that White is scheduled to have the condition of his injured shoulder assessed in November, and his return to the Bulls could happen as late as January. Williams could miss the whole season with a wrist injury that will require surgery. “I think we’ve got to as best we can organizationally help those guys get back and utilize this time as best they can,’’ head coach Billy Donovan said of dealing with the absences of White and Williams. “But it’s certainly not the most ideal situation for their development.’’

Injury Notes: Diakite, P. Williams, C. White, Zion, Lakers

October 14th, 2021 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Thunder forward Mamadi Diakite has been diagnosed with a left hip fracture and has been ruled out indefinitely, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter links). Diakite sustained the injury during Sunday’s preseason game against Milwaukee, Mussatto adds.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Diakite, who was claimed off waivers by the Thunder last month and was trying to prove he deserved a spot on the regular season roster. Only $100K of Diakite’s minimum-salary contract is guaranteed, making him a potential casualty of a roster crunch.

Although the Thunder haven’t revealed their plans for their 15-man regular season roster, they’re carrying 13 players on guaranteed contracts, and Kenrich Williams is a lock for the roster despite his non-guaranteed salary. That leaves just one available 15-man spot — if Diakite’s injury takes him out of the running, Gabriel Deck and D.J. Wilson would likely be the top contenders for it.

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

Bulls forward Patrick Williams appears to be nearing a return. He participated fully in Wednesday’s practice and said his injured ankle “feels good,” per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Bulls guard Coby White, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, still isn’t close to being cleared for contact. Head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday the team is about three or four weeks away from determining the next step in White’s rehab process (Twitter link via Cody Westerlund of 670TheScore.com).
Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin said last month he thought Zion Williamson, who underwent offseason foot surgery, would be ready for opening night. However, head coach Willie Green confirmed on Monday that Williamson still isn’t running or participating in team activities, according to William Guillory of The Athletic, who says Zion’s uncertain status leaves New Orleans in limbo with the regular season around the corner.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is hopeful that Malik Monk (groin) and Kendrick Nunn (ankle) will be ready to go by opening night, per Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (Twitter links). However, veteran guard Wayne Ellington is dealing with a hamstring strain that makes him more of a question mark for the start of the season.

Central Notes: Markkanen, Carlisle, White, Pistons

October 4th, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers lavished Lauri Markkanen with a four-year, $67MM contract in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls and they have big plans for him offensively, as Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer details. Markkanen won’t just be firing 3-pointers — he’ll have the ball in his hands often on post and elbow isolations and his new team wants to showcase his playmaking ability.

“He is a dynamic offensive player, and we want him to show his whole skill set,” Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

We have more from the Central Division:

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle says the roster was built to enhance his desire for an improved defensive mindset, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. “Guys that we brought in on two-ways and Exhibit 10s also are tough-minded, defensive-oriented guys,” he said. “Hard play is such an important part of success in our league. I think everybody knows that, but we’ve really gone that direction with guys that we’ve brought in.”
Coby White may have the talent to be a starting point guard in the league but it won’t happen with the Bulls, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic opines in his latest mailbag post. The commitments to Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso greatly diminish White’s chances of remaining with the franchise long-term. Mayberry takes on a number of topics, including his skepticism regarding the franchise’s desire to retain Zach LaVine for the long haul.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey wants to push the pace but not at the expense of high turnover numbers, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. It will be a challenge, considering that young guards in Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes will frequently be running the offense. One of the solutions is to cut down on the number of times his wings attempt one-man fast breaks.