Bulls guard Coby White still listening to wisdom of a former teammate
The locker might be occupied by a new resident, but the specter of DeMar DeRozan hasn’t completely left the Advocate Center just yet.
Coby White came into the season with a list of goals to improve on, but it all started and finished with White first bettering his condition to limit the number of down nights. He learned that lesson from training and speaking to DeRozan on a regular basis, even after the veteran forward was part of a sign-and-trade to the Kings over the summer.
“The biggest thing that I looked in the mirror is it’s got to be a night-in, night-out thing,” White said. “It’s got to be an every night thing. It can’t be some games, this game, that game. I’ve got to build on this. That’s what I talked to DeMar a lot about, how he prepares for every moment, how he prepares for every game. Because he’s a guy that obviously does it night in and night out no matter if we’re on a back-to-back, fifth city in seven nights, whatever it may be.
“So I always pick his brain about it. And that’s the one thing that he told me was now you’re at the point where everybody knows who you are and what you can do. And now you’ve got to find ways where you might have the first- or second-best defender on you each night. Now you’ve got to figure out ways to do it night in and night out.”
White watched his minutes per game go from 23.4 in the 2022-23 season to a career-high 36.5 last year.
Road map
With Lonzo Ball attempting to be the first professional athlete to come back from what was basically an entire cartilage transplant in his left knee, he continued ramping up the physicality in this week’s practices with no setbacks.
Ball said that even if he gets through the entire preseason feeling great, he’ll obviously start the regular season with strict minutes restrictions and also with back-to-back games completely off the table.
What that will look like exactly will remain a wait-and-see.
“It’s going to be constant communication throughout the year just because this is sort of a new project, if you will, that we all have to get through together,” Ball said.
No restrictions
After undergoing season-ending left foot surgery last January, Patrick Williams was finally cleared for full contact last month. That’s also why he’s been in Chicago for over three weeks, knowing the best pick-up games he could get in were with his teammates.
The better news for Williams is besides the normal pre- and post-practice treatments, he has been a full participant through the first three days of fall camp.
“Obviously going through injury, it’s my second one now where I’ve had to be out for awhile,” Williams said. “It always gives you a different sense of appreciation of the game, a different appreciation of your teammates, not being around them for awhile. Not being able to go to battle with them. Personally, it kills me. Sitting at home, missing that part of it, so I feel good to be back.”
Joshing?
The Bulls continued bringing in younger players with NBA experience on the resume, signing former Spurs first-round pick Josh Primo on Thursday.
The guard made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2022, being suspended four games by the league after it was determined he engaged in inappropriate behavior by exposing himself to women.
He will join a crowded guard room that now goes 10 deep before roster moves but is eventually expected to join the G League Windy City Bulls as he gets over an ankle injury.