Coby White is on his way to becoming a household name among NBA circles.
Bulls guard Coby White came seemingly out of nowhere to thrill fans both locally and nationally en route to consideration for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award, which was ultimately won by 76ers star Tyrese Maxey. White’s improvement was not lost on his peers, as he received votes for ‘most underrated player’ according to an unofficial NBA players poll recently.
On Tuesday, the NBA’s official Public Relations account on Twitter shared the latest news: White finished second in the NBA’s Most Improved Player voting, a welcome honor for a player who has long been overlooked.
White’s incredible distinction came during a week in which Chicago was eliminated from the Play-In Tournament after a blowout loss to the Miami Heat, a loss that prompted a placing of the blame by national news media. A DeMar DeRozan contract offer was also announced as part of a flurry of Bulls news leading up to the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
White, Maxey Headline Top Vote-Getters
Two young players with bright present-day talents and bright futures were among the top vote-getters, as shared on X, with Maxey bringing home the coveted award this season. The full graphic was shared with White falling just 14 points short of Maxey’s pace-setting finish.
The complete voting results for the 2023-24 Kia NBA Most Improved Player. pic.twitter.com/JzZ4GBsrnL
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 23, 2024
The 6-foot-5, 195 pound White averaged 19.1 points per game while shooting nearly 45% from the field. His smooth and joyful all-around game along with his throwback hairstyle had fans thinking of 1970s basketball as White glided, sliced and diced his way through even the best NBA defenses en route to a promising season for Coach Billy Donovan‘s Chicago Bulls.
Billy Donovan Fires Multiple Assistant Coaches
It was also announced this week that Maurice Cheeks and Chris Fleming are out as Bulls assistant coaches. Both departures from Billy Donovan’s staff are expected to pursue other opportunities follow the Bulls’ relatively unsuccessful season.
Now, the offseason task for Billy Donovan and the Bulls’ staff has become clear. Chicago must continue to build around White, Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams and the rest of the team’s young talents while doing their best to keep DeRozan in a Chicago uniform.
Chicago has the makings of a talented, playoff caliber roster, but it’s going to be an uphill climb as only three of Chicago’s current top scorers are 25 or younger and the team still lacks a bonafide top 50 player outside of DeRozan to carry Donovan’s team into the first round and beyond next year.
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