The Chicago Bulls have shocked the entire NBA with a 6-1 start to the season, and they’re doing it without guard Coby White. He has been out with a calf injury but recently shared a potential timeline for his return.
Speaking to The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi, White could make his season debut for the Bulls in their upcoming West road trip starting on November 16 against the Utah Jazz. They then visit the Denver Nuggets on November 17 and the Portland Trail Blazers on November 19.
White called that stretch of games the “what I’ve been told” timeline for his return. He’s also expected to join his teammates in practice next week, though the Bulls’ tight schedule would make it hard for him to have more time to ramp up his activities.
Coach Billy Donovan told Lorenzi that White is expected to be a full participant before the road game against the Detroit Pistons on November 12. The good news for the Bulls is the 25-year-old guard is already playing 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 with certain teammates and members of the coaching and player development staff.
Coach Donovan Wasn’t Confident with White’s Progress Last Week
Coby White suffered a calf strain during a summer workout in August, which has prevented him from participating in training camp, the preseason and the start of the season. Coach Billy Donovan was even unsure on how to approach White’s recovery last week after speaking to the Chicago Bulls’ medical staff.
“Just talking to the medical, here’s the problem: Like (White) doesn’t have any pain at all with what he’s doing. He’s on the court shooting, he’s able to jog, but what ended up happening and what became a problem when we were playing competitively in practice were those stops, starts, quick explosiveness that maybe he’s not doing a lot of that in individual workout,” Donovan told reporters on October 27, via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Despite not having White for the first three weeks of the season, the Bulls are off to a hot start at 6-1. They have the best record in the Eastern Conference, with wins over the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons.
Josh Giddey is playing like an All-Star, while Nikola Vucevic has been solid as ever. Matas Buzelis is taking a leap in his second season, and Tre Jones has done a wonderful job filling in for White.
White Not Worried About His Fit With The Current Bulls
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Coby White is not worried about disrupting the current team’s chemistry. He is confident that his style of play is perfect for the way the team has been playing for the past three weeks.
“The way I play fits perfectly with the way that we play. Quick decisions. I’m not a ball stopper. I don’t hold the ball. I just play to win. So I don’t see no problem or anything like that when it comes to me getting back to it,” White said, via Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls.
White is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 74 games. He even turned down an extension with the Chicago Bulls this offseason, betting on himself and knowing he can increase his value for free agency.
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