On Wednesday, Chicago Bulls guard Coby White became the latest player to take land awkwardly while trying to make a play in transition. After racing two Indiana Pacers defenders down the court for a layup attempt, White hit the ground as Pascal Siakam fell on top of him. White’s leg bent unnaturally. Immediately after the play, it looked like he could miss a lengthy stretch in recovery.
This was the play he got injured on pic.twitter.com/dD4Cse5eKv
— ChicagoBullsCentral (@BullsCentraI) March 14, 2024
However, per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, White escaped from the play with a mild hip strain. The fifth-year pro could return to the court as early as Saturday, he reports.
Coby White Keeps Playoff, Award Hopes Alive
White will miss at least one game as the Bulls take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Nonetheless, this is major news for both White and the team.
A projected finalist for the Most Improved Player Award, White has already passed the 65-game threshold to receive a league honor. Nonetheless, White faces steep competition for the award, even with Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun likely to miss the remainder of the regular season with a high ankle sprain.
Most Improved Player Award Race
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey hit the court like wildfire to start the season, averaging 30.3 points and 6.3 assists per game in October. His numbers have cooled since, but he’s still hot, averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. With Maxey, context is almost as important as the numbers. Replacing James Harden after the three-time scoring champion forced a trade to the Clippers, his play has been invaluable in their journey toward the NBA Finals.
Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has essentially doubled his scoring average from last season (10.6) to this season (21.3). Like White, Thomas has also overcome significant adversity ahead of his breakout season. Once pigeonholed as a sixth man archetype, he’s putting in the work to become more well-rounded, making strides as a two-way playmaker.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga could also hear his name announced as the award-winner. While playing a career-high 26.0 minutes per game, he’s averaging 16.1 points per game. In the 38 games that he’s been a starter, he’s averaged 17.4 points per game. Even more notable, the Warriors are 22-16 since he was promoted to the first unit but just 34-31 (10th in the West) on the season.
Playoff Picture
As for the Bulls, they sit at 32-34, ninth in the East.
Though 6.0 games ahead of the 11th-place Nets (26-40), their roster has already been decimated by injuries. They could very well slip out of the playoff picture if White were out for an extended period. The 24-year-old averages 19.5 points and 5.2 assists per game this season while shooting 38.8 percent from 3. He’s also the league leader in minutes played with 2,425.
