Category: Bulls News

Coby White reflects on Bulls locker room after big win over Spurs

According to Coby White, the Chicago Bulls locker room has never lost faith.

The Chicago Bulls are stringing together some wins. Since starting off the season 5-14, the Bulls have gone 8-3, propelling them to 11th in the Eastern Conference, just one game out of the 10-seed. Coincidentally (or maybe not), the Bulls’ success has been in line with Zach LaVine’s injury, who is slated to miss multiple weeks with a foot injury.

Coby White has been at the forefront of Chicago’s winning ways, stepping his game up in a big way when the Bulls have needed him most. Right when it looked like the team could be ready to rebuild, they turned it around, and the Bulls locker room never lost hope.

After the Bulls’ most recent win over the San Antonio Spurs, White spoke about the team’s belief in each other.

“We never gave up, we never let the life flow out of us or anything like that,” White said via ESPN. “The guys in this locker room continuously believe in each other. We continuously speak positive energy into each other, and we care about each other and we want to win. That hasn’t changed throughout the entire season.”

White finished the game against San Antonio with 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists while shooting 10-of-15 from the field and 2-of-5 from behind the three-point line.

Chicago’s steady success may not be convincing enough for them to keep this same core past the trade deadline, but it’s promising in the short term. The Bulls added pieces to help them compete over this past offseason, and right now, it’s looking like they could have a real shot at making the Play-In Tournament.

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Bulls head coach lays out new challenge for Patrick Williams

Billy Donovan wants to see some more aggression out of Patrick Williams.

Billy Donovan wants Patrick Williams to be more aggressive. The fourth-year forward has enjoyed a strong start to the season, but Donovan believes he can have an even greater impact. Williams has been one of the bright spots this season despite a difficult few months for the Chicago Bulls roster.

Donovan’s comments came when speaking to the media following Chicago’s loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday (Dec. 16.) Williams had produced a solid statline of 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, shooting 80% from 3-point range and 80% from the field. As such, Donovan knows that Mitchell can provide a similar impact on a nightly basis.

“With younger players, you don’t want to play in a wide gap where there are these drastic differences. Whether he makes shots or misses shots, it’s the aggressiveness. And he clearly on Thursday night wasn’t as aggressive as he was (Saturday). And we gotta get him to be consistent doing that,” Donovan said. “He’s gotta own that. When he does what he does (Saturday), he’s a huge boost to our team.”

Williams is one of Chicago’s only young, high-potential players. The roster has been constructed around aging stars, which is primarily why Chicago is expected to be active around the trade deadline. However, Williams’ upside and importance to the franchise means that he’s unlikely to be included in any potential trade discussions.

The 22-year-old forward has had flashes of his potential since entering the NBA but has struggled to string those impressive performances together. With multiple years of development time ahead of him, hopes should still be high for Williams to figure it out and become an integral member of the rotation.

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DeMar DeRozan remains committed to the Bulls

DeMar DeRozan isn’t looking for a way out of the Chicago Bulls franchise.

DeMar DeRozan recently reiterated his commitment to the Chicago Bulls. He has spent the first quarter of the season being linked in endless trade rumors. The veteran forward is in the final year of his current deal, meaning he will be a restricted free agent in the summer. As such, he’s widely expected to be used as trade bait as the Bulls’ front office looks for ways to begin rebuilding or re-tooling their roster.

DeRozan’s comments came during a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune. During the interview, the veteran forward discussed his love of Chicago and his desire to remain in the city moving forward.

“Chicago is Chicago to me,” DeRozan said. “I love it here. Obviously it’s a place I want to be in my career. None of that has changed. I don’t have no other type of doubts or feelings or suggestions to be elsewhere. That don’t cross my mind…Me being in the league so long, I understand this period of time, it just comes with the occupation. I really don’t pay no mind to it. My priority is to be here, make this organization and this team successful and get through whatever tough stuff we’re going through.”

Despite the endless trade rumors, DeRozan is still stringing an impressive season together. The veteran is averaging 22.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while shooting 44.1% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range.

The Bulls may yet decide to keep DeRozan for the remainder of the season. They could even look to negotiate a potential contract extension in the coming months. However, if they do choose to move on from their star forward, there should be no shortage of interested teams. After all, DeRozan has been a consummate professional for his entire career.

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Nikola Jokic speaks out on wild ejection in Bulls loss to Nuggets

After getting ejected in the Denver Nuggets’ win over the Chicago Bulls, Nikola Jokic shared his thoughts post-game.

The Chicago Bulls lost their second game in a row on Tuesday night, falling to the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets by a score of 114-106. But their loss wasn’t the story of the night. Instead, it was the controversial ejection of Nikola Jokic. The big man was tossed right before halftime.

However, while an ejection usually takes place after two technicals, Jokic was thrown out of the game after just one. He was complaining about a non-ball in the paint and was talking to the refs while running back on defense. Apparently, whatever he said was enough to anger the refs to the point where they kicked him out of the contest.

After the game, Jokic spoke about the ejection, voicing his disagreement.

“It is what it is,” Jokic said. “Some guys can say it, whatever. I think sometimes what I said is nothing but a technical. So, it is what it is. I crossed a line but sometimes that word doesn’t cross the line.”

Jokic’s ejection was met with league-wide confusion, as it was almost universally frowned upon. Even Bulls announcer Stacey King was confused as to why the Nuggets center was thrown out.

“That’s terrible,” King said. “That’s excessive. That’s excessive. Give the guy a tech. He should’ve got a tech. But to eject the guy, come on now.

Head referee Mark Lindsay revealed after the game that Jokic’s language was what got him thrown out. But regardless of what he said, that sort of behavior usually only warrants a technical foul.

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Coby White is slowly becoming the Bulls’ franchise player

With trade rumors swirling, Coby White is slowly morphing into the Chicago Bulls’ franchise player.

Heading into the season, fans around the league pegged the Chicago Bulls as one of the teams most likely to blow it up. Despite fans begging Chicago to reset the roster over the summer, the Bulls doubled down, adding win-now pieces instead of entering a rebuild. And early on in the year, things were looking rough.

However, the Bulls have now won five games in a row, all without star guard Zach LaVine. And while DeMar DeRozan has been playing fairly well, it’s the performance of another guard that’s stolen the show, as Coby White is slowly becoming the best player on the Bulls.

In fact, some are even questioning whether or not he’s the team’s franchise player.

Over the past two years, White’s role has shrunk as the team has looked to prioritize winning. But now, he’s one of the main reasons they’ve been able to turn things around and win consistently.

Over the past five games, White has averaged 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while shooting 50.0% from the field and 54.2% from behind the three-point line.

Obviously, shooting that well from distance likely isn’t sustainable, but it’s emblematic of how hot White has been as of late. And while his percentages may fall, it’s clear that he’s one of the Bulls’ go-to guys on the offensive end.

At just 23 years old and in his fifth NBA season, White is making a massive leap. Chicago extended him this summer, and with the move, they may have committed to a guy who could help lead this franchise into the future.

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DeMar DeRozan issues statement on Zach LaVine injury after Bulls win over Hornets

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Charlotte Hornets, DeMar DeRozan spoke about Zach LaVine’s injury.

After a rough start to the season, it seems as though the Chicago Bulls are finally finding their footing a bit. They’ve won three games in a row, taking down some solid competition along the way. Chicago took down the Milwaukee Bucks, then the New Orleans Pelicans, and on Wednesday night, they beat the Charlotte Hornets.

Unfortunately, while they picked up a win on Wednesday, they also got some rough news. According to the team, star guard Zach LaVine is expected to miss 3-4 weeks of action with a right foot issue, and he needs the time to continue to deal with the inflammation.

Fellow Bulls star DeMar DeRozan spoke about the injury and the Bulls.

“Zach’s got to take care of himself,” DeRozan said. “We’ve just got to stay locked in and be prepared for when guys get all the way healthy. We’ve got to keep building.”

LaVine is an important member of the Bulls, but this season, they’ve actually fared a bit better without him in the lineup.

With LaVine playing, the Bulls are 5-13 this year, but when he’s been sidelined, they’ve gone 3-1.

Obviously, LaVine is a very talented player, but with all the trade rumors swirling and the reports that the team is prioritizing finding a trade for him, it makes sense why they may want to part ways.

DeRozan led the way with 29 points against the Hornets, and Coby White continued his solid season, posting 19 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

LaVine will be out for a while, but the Bulls have been just fine without him.

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Report: Chicago’s Zach LaVine to miss additional 3-4 weeks with foot injury

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine is set to miss an additional 3-4 weeks with right foot soreness.

The Chicago Bulls will be without guard Zach LaVine for 3 to 4 more weeks, according to a recent update from the team. LaVine has been dealing with soreness in his right foot, and was initially sidelined in early December. At the time, it was expected LaVine would only miss a few games,  but now it appears the injury will keep him out of service for longer.

There has been a lot of chatter about what LaVine’s future in Chicago may hold. He’s been the subject of trade rumors stretching back to this summer, but moving LaVine’s hefty contract will be easier said than done. A lingering foot injury may only complicate the matter for the Bulls, who are struggling to remain relevant in the East. At the time of this writing, however, Chicago is 3-0 since LaVine went down.

A disgruntled star player isn’t the only concern for the Bulls, even if they have strung a few wins together as of late. Head coach Billy Donovan recently outlined the scope of the problem for his club. Still, losing LaVine’s high-energy scoring attack may prove difficult, especially with a particularly tough slate of games coming up in December and January.

Tiger Woods pays subtle homage to Bulls legend Michael Jordan ahead of first tournament since spring

Ahead of his first tournament appearance since the Masters, Tiger Woods may have shown some love to Chicago Bulls legend Micahel Jordan.

There are few more influential athletes than Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. When he was in the league, he made a worldwide impact, and he put the Bulls on the map. Not only did he bring six titles in eight years to the city of Chicago, but he transformed millions of people around the globe into Bulls fans.

But fans weren’t the only people influenced by Jordan. Jordan inspired a whole generation of hoopers, and his impact extended beyond the sport of basketball, too. He created the Jordan brand, which is now one of the biggest in the sports world.

Recently, his influence may have found its way to golf by way of Tiger Woods.

Woods is competing in the Hero World Challenge at the Albany Golf Club, his first tournament appearance since the Masters this past spring. Upon arrival at the event, fans noticed a look that may have been an homage to Jordan.

His leg sleeve looks to be the same one that Jordan wore back it the day, as photographed in this image of him facing off against the Utah Jazz.

Woods is signed to Nike, the company that owns the Jordan brand, and the two legends have linked up on occasion in the past. Jordan’s fondness for golf has led to the two hanging out on the links.

Whether or not Woods was intentionally showing some love to Jordan is unknown, but the evidence makes it seem pretty clear.

Maybe the leg sleeve will help him deliver in the same way Jordan did in his prime.

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DeMar DeRozan has heaps of praise for Coby White after Bulls win over Pelicans: ‘He was special tonight’

After the Chicago Bulls win over the New Orleans Pelicans, DeMar DeRozan showed love to Coby White.

This Chicago Bulls season has been a disaster. Based on their expectations heading into the year, the Bulls have failed. And they have failed to the point where they are the first teams most people bring up in trade rumors, with Zach LaVine’s name taking the lead in that category.

However, amidst all the struggles the Bulls have dealt with this season, Coby White has been emerging. After taking a massive step back in the rotation last year, White is playing roughly 10 more minutes a night and has improved in nearly every statistical category year over year. The 23-year-old guard is finally coming into his own.

White’s play has drawn the praise of his teammate, DeMar DeRozan. (H/t Sam Smith of NBA.com)

Bulls guard Zach LaVine sidelined with foot soreness amid swirling trade rumors

Chicago star Zach LaVine will miss some time with foot soreness as trade rumors continue to swirl.

The Chicago Bulls announced former All-Star guard Zach LaVine will be sidelined for “one week” with right foot soreness, according to the Athletic’s Shams Charania. Chicago’s next three games are against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Charlotte Hornets, and the San Antonio Spurs, but around mid-December, the schedule gets much tougher for the Bulls. As such, bringing LaVine back as soon as possible will be critical for Chicago with such a tough slate of games coming up.

The club already sits at the bottom of the standings in the Eastern Conference, and any prolonged losing streak could make a shot at the playoffs much more difficult. LaVine is averaging 21.0 points per game this year along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Chicago’s offense already ranks No. 26 in the entire NBA, and being without such a potent scoring weapon will only make things worse.

LaVine appeared in 77 games for Chicago last season, and has yet to miss any action during the 2023-24 season. That said, trade rumors regarding LaVine have only grown louder in recent weeks as the Bulls have struggled to compete. LaVine himself recently voiced his frustration.