NEW YORK — Coby White wasn’t exactly sneaking up on opposing teams in previous seasons.
Like all NBA coaches do, his tendencies were broken down on film, talked about in the walk-through, and put to ink in the pregame scouting report.
Probably with a reminder of “can get hot from three-point range” next to his shot chart, but in the broad scope of concerns for the opposition “just another guy” when defending the Bulls.
That’s no longer the case.
White has made sure of that.
“Just another guy” is now a focal point in those scouting reports, and for teams that still aren’t seeing it they’re about to have a 48-minute headache on their hands.
Not only has White been the Bulls’ most improved player through the first few months of this season, but he’s arguably in the running for the league’s most improved player.
His coach knows that without even looking at the statistics and box scores, because Billy Donovan has eyes.
The first couple matchups with Miami this season? The usual suspects were defending White. The last matchup on Dec. 16? As soon as White touched the ball in that game he had the human vice grip that is Jimmy Butler on him and did so throughout most of the first half.
The first time the Bulls played Indiana this season, White drew Tyrese Haliburton. A great player, but not exactly known for his defense. In the second meeting last week it was a combination of defensive-minded players like Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard.
The chessboard is changing for the Bulls guard, and rather than facing pawns White is now seeing bishops and rooks moving at him.
“It’s not even (defenses) plastering him, it’s been totally different matchups,” Donovan said of what has been thrown at White lately. “He’s getting different matchups from game-to-game because of the way he played. I do think that this is the maturation process that he has to go through. Now, he’s met all these challenges, but some of it has been with Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) out and Zach (LaVine) out, listen, they are going to send some of their better defenders at him.
“I think it speaks to what he’s done and how he’s played that they’re doing that.”
And now White needs to take the next step and make the counter to the league’s counter.
White started jumping off the film around Nov. 20, going on a 13-game heater in which he averaged 23.4 points per game and shot a ridiculous 50.4 from three-point range.
Then the Butler game happened on South Beach, and since then White was still averaging 19.7 points per game but was 20-for-68 (29.4%) from three thanks in large part to all the attention he’s drawing, the defenders put on him, and the frantic closeouts in how he’s being defended.
“Who wouldn’t want this challenge?” White said. “For me this is what you dream of – being the focal point of the scouting report. I think it’s dope. It’s a sign of respect. I’m excited for what’s ahead of me.”
What’s directly ahead of him is even more time in the film room. White has always been a student of the game, but often it was just focusing on the usual defenders. Now he must know the tendencies of everyone because he’s not quite sure who will be thrown on him from game to game.
“Some guys are physical, some guys are more handsy, some guys try and time crossovers, so for me it expands on both ends of the court because now I’m the man in that kitchen and I’ve got to figure out ways I can (counter) those,” White said. “Like I said, I take it as a sign of respect.”
