The Real Reason Behind Coby White’s Shooting Slump

The Chicago Bulls’ 23-year-old point guard Coby White inked a three-year, $33 million extension this summer. Many fans thought this was a good move, seeing that White is one of the few young organizational pieces that has shown tangible growth each year since his arrival. When Zach LaVine was removed from the lineup due to a right foot injury, White was handed a mountain of opportunity and took full advantage. Off to a scorching start, he’s boasted four outings over 25 points, two over 30 points, and a franchise record of 14 straight games with three or more three-point makes. However, in his last two games, he’s 0-15 from deep and hasn’t made four or more threes in five straight contests. What happened overnight, and how soon can he bounce back to form?

December To Remember

In a dozen games in December without the 27-year-old All-Star guard, White has put up the best month of his young career, averaging over 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists per contest while shooting over 48% from the field and 41.6% from three-point land. There’s been leaguewide murmurs of his first NBA Three-Point Contest invitation and sprinkling in some hopes for his first NBA All-Star selection. If he can carry his monthly averages into an entire season, he’d be a surefire selection to represent Chicago during All-Star weekend.

White’s attempts have gone up in LaVine’s absence, but so have his assist numbers and the team’s overall assist figures. He’s putting up nearly five more shots per game without his running mate, including two more attempts from beyond the arc. His efficiency has improved with the increased usage, raising nearly 5% from the field and three-point land. While he’s been firing on all cylinders over the past 13 games, this week has seen an abrupt halt to his incredible month. Fresh from a 17-game streak of two or more three-point field goals, he’s 0-for-15 over his last two outings.

Fighting Through Injury

Per K.C. Johnson of NBC Chicago, Coby White may be dealing with an injury that would severely affect his shooting performance. Admittedly delaying the healing process by continuing to play, White’s wrist soreness on his shooting arm has lingered over the past two weeks. While he may have been shooting well despite the injury previously, it’s clearly starting to affect the career 37.1% three-point sniper. As any shooter would know, any injury to the shooting arm or hand would massively impact performance, especially at the professional level.

Chicago has five games between now and the end of next week, including one back-to-back, and White is slated to continue playing despite the lingering issue. Without LaVine and Nikola Vucevic for the foreseeable future, the Bulls cannot afford to lose another perimeter-scoring threat and primary shot-taker.

Keep an eye on the former Tar Heel point guard and expect him to skip a few outings if the shooting woes continue and the injury worsens. Leading the charge of a 9-4 record without LaVine in the lineup, Bulls fans know it’s essential to have White healthy and on the court as soon as possible.