Can Miami Heat Slow Down Bulls Guard Coby White's Hot Hand?
Young guards usually take a while to figure things out in the NBA. Plenty of the greats have started slow; sometimes, you need patience.
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White seems to be another one of those late bloomers. The former No. 7 overall lottery pick in 2019 has finally taken off.
While the Bulls have had many trade rumors swirling recently, White has been one of the few bright spots for the team.
White has averaged 13.1 points, three assists, and three rebounds in 13 games against the Miami Heat. His latest matchup versus them was in November, scoring 20 points.
This season, he averages 16.7 points per game with career highs in field goal and three-point percentage.
His shot attempts have been up to 17.1 per game, with Zach Lavine out of the lineup dealing with a foot injury.
The Heat allow the eight most points and most assists to point guards over their last seven games.
White has been on an absolute heater recently, averaging 26.8 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game over the last five.
Since the start of December, he has scored 33 versus the Milwaukee Bucks, 31 against the New Orleans Pelicans, and 27 against the Denver Nuggets.
He’s doing most of his damage from three, while 60 percent of his shots are assisted. He’s also taking less than one midrange jumper per game.
The Heat defense ranked 28th in the previous two weeks, worse than the Hornets and Pacers, according to cleaningtheglass.com
After letting Terry Rozier go for 34 and 28 points, the Heat defense must adjust so the trend doesn’t continue.
Devin Brown is a contributing writer to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at dbrwnjr@gmail.com or Twitter @dbrwnjr.
