HOUSTON – Coby White has figured out the business of basketball.
Even if the Bulls guard didn’t, he earned an up-close-and-personal dose of it just before the start of the season, when the organization opted to not give him an extension off his rookie deal, allowing him to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Did it sting?
Not really, considering all of the unknowns that face the organization this offseason. So White is just going to ride it out and see where it takes him.
“I just wanted to take steps this year and prove that I could do things that people thought I couldn’t do,’’ White said on Saturday, when discussing his mindset. “But with all that said, you just never know in this league, this business. You never know what’s really going on. So I just have to keep the mindset of keep it steady, keep it consistent, and hopefully everything will take care of itself.’’
Not a bad philosophy to have, especially when there’s a good chance that the Bulls may have to choose between keeping White or Ayo Dosunmu with the current make-up of this roster.
And what White is 100% on point about is he has changed his game in Year 4.
Adding muscle last summer was the starting point, but he also put the work in. The handles are tighter, the court vision better, and the biggest jump? White is playing with a physicality on both ends of the floor that was not seen when he was coming out of North Carolina as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 draft or his first three years as a Bull.
Call it the Alex Caruso Effect.
“I think there’s a few things,’’ White said of the change to a rougher style of play. “I worked on my body a lot in the offseason, but also just I talk to AC [Caruso] a lot, both during the offseason and then since the season started, throughout this year, just about what you can get away with, knowing when you can be physical, knowing when you shouldn’t be. I’ve talked to him a ton about that … see what you can get away with. I’m starting to use that to my advantage, and just getting the experience to do that has been a major factor.’’
Not just on the defensive end, either. Even when White’s going to the rim, he looks to make contact rather than avoid it.
He might not be getting all the and-1s he feels he’s deserved, but his hope is that’s part of the process.
“It’s all part of the same thing, being physical on both ends of the court, and then this just being my fourth year, learning, being an open book to everything that comes my way,’’ White said. “But also taking what you learn to the game.’’
Point of interest
Billy Donovan is no stranger to having to discuss the future of injured guard Lonzo Ball, especially since it’s been a topic since January 2022. With Ball possibly headed for a third surgery on his left knee, the coach was asked if the organization would have to look at the point guard position this summer, even though Ball is signed for two more seasons after this one?
“I do think the front office, ownership, will sit down after [Ball’s] decision is made, look at a timetable of how long this rehab and recovery will be, and then make decisions from there on what are the expectations of him coming back, what will the length of the rehab look like, how much more time he’ll miss?’’ Donovan said. “I think that will be a conversation we would all have at the end of the year.’’