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Coby White is eager to move past the loss to the Orlando Magic
With two-thirds of the season nearly done, players are now feeling the crunch of the NBA schedule. This season has been a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows for the Chicago Bulls' rising star, Coby White. The latest low came in Wednesday night's loss to the Orlando Magic.
In a season that has seen him make a case as a legitimate piece of the franchise’s present and future, White’s 14-point performance showed that he still isn’t all the way there yet, shooting 5-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-11 from behind the arc in the Bulls’ 114-108 defeat to the Magic.
Flush it down
It was a game wherein the win was within reach. The Bulls trailed by as many as 10 but rallied late in the fourth to tie the game at 101-all. However, veteran wingman DeMar DeRozan couldn’t get his three-pointer to find the mark at the end of the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Bulls ran out of gas. White, in particular, couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn, making only one of his four attempts. After the game, the former Tar Heel focused on the two games left on their road trip.
‘‘We competed; we played hard,” White said.
‘‘We’ve got two more games on this road trip, so we’ve got to finish strong.’’
Fatigue taking over
With the Bulls playing without some key players for most of the season, White has had to take on the lion’s share of the minutes and responsibilities. And while he has done well handling the load, fatigue may be catching up with him. In the Bulls’ last 16 games, White has averaged nearly 40 minutes of playing time in every match.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan shared his assessment of White’s performance after the game against the Hornets.
“I thought Coby (White) had some good looks late. Just didn’t seem to really have legs there.”
