Bulls guard Coby White has his sights set on becoming a full-time starter with the franchise next season, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.
White, 20, was selected No. 7 overall by the franchise in 2019, impressing onlookers in his rookie campaign this season. He averaged 13.2 points, 2.7 assists and 25.8 minutes per game, coming off the bench in every contest but one. He’s spent significant time in the gym and weight room since the NBA season was postponed due to COVID-19.
“Work out, that’s about it,’’ White said when asked about his recent routine. “I was able to hoop a little bit when I was home, but I’ve been back in Chicago for two or three months. Really, all I can do is come to the gym, work out, kind of doing the same thing every day — one player per basket, get some stuff done in the weight room. Other than that, it’s all it’s really been.’’
White recognizes the importance of staying ready, since Kris Dunn – who started in 32 of 51 games this season – is set to reach restricted free agency. Players were still working out individually as of Friday, according to Cowley, with full intrasquad scrimmages scheduled to begin later this week.
“I think the big thing is just all coming together, getting a feel for each other,’’ White said. “Just getting that team chemistry back. We’ve been away from each other for so long and we haven’t played with each other in so long, so for us to just get back all on the court together it’ll be good for us. And you know, with everything going on in the world, some of us haven’t really played basketball or been down and played five-on-five in so long, so in that aspect it’ll be good. Cause for a lot of us basketball is our therapy.’’
There’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- The Pistons are eyeing a short route back to winning, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press details. Detroit finished with a 20-46 record this season, suffering from multiple key injuries and setbacks along the way. “We’re not really rebuilding here in Detroit,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “I think our basketball fans deserve a lot. We like to use the word ‘retooling,’ ‘restoring’ as much as ‘rebuilding.’ It doesn’t have to take a long time because if our young guys are making the progress we expect them to make, it shouldn’t be a long-term restoring.”
- Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files examines what Pacers players are hoping to see from their next head coach. Indiana fired Nate McMillan from his position in August, ending his four-year tenure as head coach of the team. “It’s up to me to step up to the plate and find the right person to lead the locker room again and be creative as a new-age coach,” team president Kevin Pritchard said last month.
- Kelsey Russo of The Athletic poses a number of questions the Cavaliers hope to answer in the team’s upcoming training camp, including how Dylan Windler is adjusting to playing and whether Collin Sexton‘s game has evolved off the ball. The first day of group training begins on Wednesday, September 23, marking roughly six months since players last played 5-on-5 in Cleveland. Andre Drummond (personal reasons) will miss the team’s camp, according to Russo, while impending free agents Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova also won’t participate.
I think Mike Brown is a perfect fit for Pacers
If he wins 11 consecutive playoffs games in a row，Pacers are already in the NBA Finals
Joke
To me，the word rebuilding means tanking for future top draft picks
I don’t know if Casey himself believes what he said, but I can’t imagine Detroit becoming a winning team in the next few years.
‘Pacers: do not overthink this give the job to Mark Jackson
Imagine the Cavaliers drafting Isaac Okoro or Devon Vassel and starting Sexton, Garland, Vassel/Okoro, Love, Drummond. This type of team would struggle to win 20 games and the only reason they would win that many games are veterans, Love, and Drummond, plus Sexton is a fine scoring guard.
Cavs won 19 in a shortened season. They’re biggest hole is on defense so Vassell and Okoro, who are defensive specialist, should in theory come in and help.
Also improvement from Porter, Sexton and Garland should help get this team closer to 30 wins, at the very least.
There is really no such player in the NBA who is a defensive specialist with exception of a shot altering center. Deandre Liggins was a similar type of defensively oriented player who had a very short career. Dennis Rodman and Bruce Bowen played good defense but never could stop the elite scorers. No defender stops Harden or other great one on one scorers. In the NBA offense over rides defense as teams defend with zones and double teams traps and switches not usually man to man sets.
Casey and Pistons management are eager to “restore” the team…to the annual 8th-seeded mediocrity it just left last year. Sheesh.
The Bulls got the best young talent in the league still think D.Rose and Noel would be the best bench ever for this team . Thing is they could start either way they know how to win
I’m a Pistons fan and Casey says we deserve a lot so therefore the Pistons shouldn’t “rebuild”. I think we deserve more than the half-way measure of being a #8-12 seed that we’ve had for the past 12 years.
Fully rebuilding and getting high draft picks would be WAY better than that. The Drummond trade was a step in that direction. I just hope this is lip-service and not a true indication that they’re going to do their best to continue being a 500 team at best, and make the next decade more of the same.