The Chicago Bulls has shared the latest injury update on Coby White, who has been dealing with a calf strain since August. White is coming off the best season of his career, though he failed to sign an extension with the Bulls this past summer.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, White is pain-free from his injury and has been shooting, running and working out. However, Bulls coach Billy Donovan didn’t sound confident about his guard’s recovery just yet.
“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.
In White’s absence, the Bulls are surprisingly doing well to start the season. They are 4-0 already, led by Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic. Even Matas Buzelis has been playing really well to begin his second year in the NBA.
White Suffered The Injury During Offseason Workout
During a workout this past summer, Coby White suffered a calf strain and was initially ruled out indefinitely. ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported before the season that White has started ramping up his basketball activities after missing training camp and the entire preseason.
The 25-year-old guard has been participating in practice, with the Bulls initially expecting him to be ready for the opener. However, a few days before the season started, the franchise announced that White will miss at least the first two weeks of the campaign.
Billy Donovan has been using Tre Jones as a starter in White’s absence, alongside Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Isaac Okoro and Nikola Vucevic. Their bench corps of Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter are also doing their part to give Bulls fans something to cheer for.
In their first four wins, the Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings. The first three teams were projected to have a better campaign than Chicago this season.
White Turned Down Contract Extension This Summer
Coby White had the year of his career last season, averaging 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 74 games. White entered the final year of his current contract and was eligible for an extension this past offseason. He addressed reports of him turning down the Bulls’ offer during the team’s media day.
“I’m thinking about now and how I can help my team win and become better in every aspect of the game. I’m blessed and fortunate to be in this situation, but I always say that I love being here, I love the front office, I love the relationship that I’ve built with Coach (Billy Donovan) and me and my teammates are super-close. So I’m enjoying every moment,” White said, via the Chicago Sun-Times.
White will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. If he can stay healthy and replicate his success this campaign, he’ll likely have plenty of suitors next summer.
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