Coby White discussion thread

[madvillian]

Coby's best as a catch and shoot 6th man and with our new team he can be just that. If he can cope with coming of the bench and being a supersub, that's where he should be lethal.
I like Coby, I hope he gets it!

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I've seen it mentioned a few times in this thread about how one of Coby's strengths is his catch-and-shoot ability so I decided to go look it up.

Last year Coby shot
163/454 on all three point attempts, a rate of 35.9%
121/333 on catch-and-shoot attempts, a rate of 36.3%
42/121 on off the dribble attempts, a rate of 34.7%

So yea, like 79% of his 3s last year were already catch and shoot and he hit them at about league average. Don't know where the perception he's like JJ Reddick came from.

I think either Doug or Coldfish posted that he was only like 37% when wide open, when most good three point shooters are well above 40%. Not only where guys not bothering to guard him, he didn't even make them pay enough.

[PaKii94]

I think when we discuss Coby we have to bring streakiness into play. Coby is a binary. When he's on, he's on. When he's off, he's ice cold. Which averages out to "average".

The hope with him is he becomes more consistently "on" which would push his efficiency up a lot

[MrSparkle]

He’s in scrub zone but easily talented/close enough to quickly turn into a human microwave. He helped win a dozen+ games with his hot streaks.

I always say this, but 3P stats are low volume and funny. All Coby has to do is either average 0.5 more 3P makes a game, or 1 more make with 1 more attempt per game to become a 45% threat. Coupled with a reduced off-ball bench role, more experience, less pressure, more strength… it’s an easy, manageable goal. Hell, Lauri did it in year 4 with more pressure (contract year and starting in a lineup with zero playmakers).

Money talks; this guy can easily make $15m per year with a 14 ppg and 40%+ 3P average. All he has to do it go for it.

His TS and % are miserable considering his shooting ability, so he really is in an easy situation to improve. Doesn’t seem like a Valentine/Arci type fighting for a minimum contract in 2 years.

[sco]

He’s in scrub zone but easily talented/close enough to quickly turn into a human microwave. He helped win a dozen+ games with his hot streaks.

I always say this, but 3P stats are low volume and funny. All Coby has to do is either average 0.5 more 3P makes a game, or 1 more make with 1 more attempt per game to become a 45% threat. Coupled with a reduced off-ball bench role, more experience, less pressure, more strength… it’s an easy, manageable goal. Hell, Lauri did it in year 4 with more pressure (contract year and starting in a lineup with zero playmakers).

Money talks; this guy can easily make $15m per year with a 14 ppg and 40%+ 3P average. All he has to do it go for it.

His TS and % are miserable considering his shooting ability, so he really is in an easy situation to improve. Doesn’t seem like a Valentine/Arci type fighting for a minimum contract in 2 years.

I'm on the fence. His 3pt shooting is streaky and can easily improve (or not), but what concerns me more is that he's shown zero ability to score in the paint - he might be the most blocked guy in the NBA. It's good to have that 6th man who isn't afraid to shoot, but you want a guy who can score different ways than just a catch and shoot game. He's just 21 and coming off injury, but if I don't see big improvement up through the deadline, I'd be fine recycling him for whatever we can get (ideally a pick in the 20's, but that seems like a reach). I'd be more bothered paying a guy who plays anything like this version of Coby more than $5M on his next deal.

[sco]

https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2021/09/22/bulls-are-hopeful-on-a-mid-november-return-for-coby-white/

“Officially, the team has said White will be re-evaluated in October. It’s clear he has been rehabilitating and working out at the Advocate Center after offseason shoulder surgery,” Johnson wrote in his latest mailbag. I’ve heard he’s dribbling too, and, as of now, the hopeful projection is a mid-November return. That’s fluid, of course.

[Chi town]

https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2021/09/22/bulls-are-hopeful-on-a-mid-november-return-for-coby-white/

“Officially, the team has said White will be re-evaluated in October. It’s clear he has been rehabilitating and working out at the Advocate Center after offseason shoulder surgery,” Johnson wrote in his latest mailbag. I’ve heard he’s dribbling too, and, as of now, the hopeful projection is a mid-November return. That’s fluid, of course.

Coby would miss 6 weeks of games including preseason. 18 games including 4 preseason. 14 Regular season games.

Probably another 10 games to get back in the flow. About 1/3 of the season.

[sco]

https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2021/09/22/bulls-are-hopeful-on-a-mid-november-return-for-coby-white/

“Officially, the team has said White will be re-evaluated in October. It’s clear he has been rehabilitating and working out at the Advocate Center after offseason shoulder surgery,” Johnson wrote in his latest mailbag. I’ve heard he’s dribbling too, and, as of now, the hopeful projection is a mid-November return. That’s fluid, of course.

Coby would miss 6 weeks of games including preseason. 18 games including 4 preseason. 14 Regular season games.

Probably another 10 games to get back in the flow. About 1/3 of the season.

I'm not bothered by that. It might be a good opportunity to see what he have in Ayo, TBJ, Green or maybe Thomas. Given Coby's limitations and lack of offseason work, I doubt we lose much.

[FriedRise]

Read on Twitter

[sco]

Read on Twitter

As long as catch and shoot practice is non-contact...that's something at least.

[Shill]

How do people think Coby will fit in with this new-look team?

Hopefully the defensive grit and ball-sharing rubs off on him.

[Jo Jo English]

How do people think Coby will fit in with this new-look team?

Hopefully the defensive grit and ball-sharing rubs off on him.

Definitely. Hope he is watching the way fans (and especially the coaching staff) are reacting to the defensive efforts of Caruso, and Ayo among others, and is doubling down on his efforts to contribute on that end of the court.

The Bulls adding a Coby White that has grown on the defensive end, and can still heat up and be an offensive weapon could be a big addition to this team.

[ghostinthepost1]

How do people think Coby will fit in with this new-look team?

Hopefully the defensive grit and ball-sharing rubs off on him.

I feel like there's a pretty large glaring hole in the rotation now that Coby would be perfect for. As much as I love AC and Lonzo they're both pretty reluctant scorers and it seems like late in the 1st quarter Billy regularly goes with a line up that's essentially one or both of them + DeMar + the Bench. Adding Coby to those lineups gives them another guy who has the ability to score and should at the very least add some spacing.

I'm also weirdly optimistic about Coby because of how Tyler Herro has been playing. They've been pretty identical as players through two years (even with Coby being a year younger). With the better teammates around him plus just natural growth, it wouldn't be the craziest thing to see Coby take a decent jump in year 3.

Herro


Coby

[wolffy]

He could have 2 major impacts on the team.

Hes one of the few guys that can create off the bench so they may get a boost there.

He's also bad enough defensively that he may ruin the effort they put up as a unit.

[superdave]

This team is playing so well defensively, I am curious if Coby can take a positive step there. His effort has always been there- but his footwork and short arms do him no favors. I have PTSD of him getting bullied by TJ McConnell lol. He will need to shoot near 40% 3-pt to be a serviceable rotation player.

[coldfish]

If Coby doesn't play defense like everyone else, you have to sit him. One bad apple can ruin the bunch.

Hopefully Coby realizes that he can't play like he has in the past on that side of the court.

[sco]

If Coby doesn't play defense like everyone else, you have to sit him. One bad apple can ruin the bunch.

Hopefully Coby realizes that he can't play like he has in the past on that side of the court.

To be fair to Coby, he puts out the effort on defense, but he wasn't quick enough to stay with opposing starting PG's. I look at our bench and see him covering the lesser scorer between bench guards, with Caruso taking the other guy. We have had such a lack of scoring with that unit, Coby will get a long leash.

[Wingy]

I think Coby can be huge for us. Demar needs a relief valve in the 2nd unit, and there isn’t one now. Enter Coby.

I’ve said it before, but I think that the new group and culture can push him to improve his D to adequate. There’s an expectation now, and he’s surrounded by a bunch of scrappers and/or winners. No one wants to be that glaring weak link.

[FriedRise]

Coby was getting burned vs starting PGs. I think he might do better going up against backup SGs.

We certainly need his 3pt shooting and scoring for the bench unit.

[MGB8]

Coby did start doing better on defense at the very end of last season, like Lauri. If that carries over (like it did for Lauri), he will be fine. But his offensive success will determine how long he stays on the court for.

[coldfish]

If Coby doesn't play defense like everyone else, you have to sit him. One bad apple can ruin the bunch.

Hopefully Coby realizes that he can't play like he has in the past on that side of the court.

To be fair to Coby, he puts out the effort on defense, but he wasn't quick enough to stay with opposing starting PG's. I look at our bench and see him covering the lesser scorer between bench guards, with Caruso taking the other guy. We have had such a lack of scoring with that unit, Coby will get a long leash.

His problem is his lack of anticipation. Everything seems like a surprise to him so he is a step slow all the time. Watch the PnR defense now. As soon as the pick is set, a defender will start trying to fight over it, frequently before the offensive player even starts his move.

Ayo was interviewed on this and gave detail. He was getting wiped out in summer league and admitted it. He fixed the problem with practice and anticipation. Coby never bothered to. It will be interesting to see if that changes.

As a side note, this is really big. The drop defense counts on the perimeter defender getting around the screen quick. If he doesn't, the PnR becomes a 2 on 1 mini break and will lead to super high percentage shots. There is virtually nothing Coby can do on offense to make up for bad defense.