Coby White is the most clutch player in the NBA. Period.
Am I draw a wild conclusion based solely on 24 minutes of Bulls internal scrimmage footage? No, of course not. Why would you even ask that?
On Thursday, the Chicago Bulls shared a chunk of footage from their minicamp, giving fans an opportunity to see the team in action for the first time since March 10th. White took full advantage of the opportunity against his fellow teammates, knocking down two game-winners while taking firm control of the team’s offense.
Check it out:
Coby White called GAME.
cc: @NBCSBulls
FULL Scrimmage ➡️ https://t.co/t5rz0kJUvt pic.twitter.com/phKRtfcjTq
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 15, 2020
(2) Finding Wendell for the slam.
I know the defense on both wasn’t anything special, but it’s just fun to see him make these plays with confidence. pic.twitter.com/xvmwQ2p5Ul
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) October 15, 2020
In all seriousness, we can’t make any grand judgments based on some scrimmage ball, but White’s successful outing is at least worth an acknowledgment. The guy ended last season on an absolute tear, averaging 26.1 points per game over the team’s last nine games. His play in the season’s final couple of weeks was enough to land him on the All-Rookie Second-Team, which is no small feat in what has proved to be an incredibly solid draft class. So, the fact that it doesn’t appear he’s lost a step after nearly seven months out of 5-on-5 action is great news for this organization.
Two of White’s best qualities – speed and offensive aggressiveness – were on full display, but what stood out most was a comfortable confidence. Be it via controlling the pace of play, dishing the ball to Carter Jr., or creating his own shot, White looked like a lead guard. Music to my ears.
I’m not saying this should shut down anyone’s concerns about his ability to be this team’s long-term answer at point guard, but I think it should at least remind all of us that he deserves his fair shake. Yes, the guy likes to look for the bottom of the net, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be the facilitating, driving force this team desperately needs. We saw him do it today, and we should be excited to see if he can do it at the start of next season.
I’ll share some more thoughts on the scrimmage action in bullets tomorrow. Until then, if you missed the action and want to make your own overly-optimistic assumptions, check out the full scrimmage below: