Coby White’s singular focus entering year two由JabariIverson 发表在翻译团招工部 https://bbs.hupu.com/fyt-store
Swiveling from side to side in an office chair, with a Bulls banner in the backdrop and a disposable blue face covering dangling from his left ear, Coby White characterized unprecedented adjustments brought about by a pandemic.
“It’s a lot,” he said. “It’s a lot to process. It’s a lot to take in. But I feel like I’m doing well with it, I’ve been taking it day by day.”
White’s selection to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, which the NBA announced Tuesday, marked a rare feel-good moment. The Bulls haven’t played since March 10, the night before the NBA shut down because of the coronavirus. White was just getting rolling.
He averaged 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. But in the final nine contests, White logged 34.1 minutes per night and exploded, dropping 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He was named Rookie of the Month for February, which is the month he netted a career-high 35 points against Oklahoma City. That was the third of three consecutive 30-point games White generated, putting him alongside Trae Young as the only rookies since 2000-01 to do so. White, according to The Elias Sports Bureau, is the only rookie to do it in a reserve role since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71.
“The Second-Team All-Rookie was a blessing,” White said on a video call with reporters Wednesday. “It was an honor to be part of that. (I) felt like my season was up and down. It could have been better, but that’s every season. I feel like for me, just working on my efficiency, finishing around the rim and being more of a playmaker when I’m out there on the court, those are my next steps.”
White was one of only two Bulls in an injury-filled season to appear in each of the team’s 65 games. But White, the seventh selection in the 2019 draft, only started the final contest.
“My goal for next year is to be better than I was last year,” White said. “That’s my primary goal is just to continue to get better, and who doesn’t want to be the starting point guard in training camp? You know, that’s my goal. That’s what I want to achieve. And I’m just going to keep working towards that to get that achievement for myself.”
White said he’s been in Chicago for much of the past three months, going through individual workouts at the Advocate Center five days a week. From Sept. 21 to Oct. 6, the league will permit voluntary group workouts for the eight franchises that didn’t qualify for the restart. Until then, it’s one player per basket with a maximum of two coaches at each station. But White said everyone on the roster is in town preparing for the permitted group sessions.
“I think the big thing is just all coming together, getting a feel for each other,” White said. “Just getting that team chemistry back. We’ve been away from each other for so long and we haven’t played with each other in so long, so for us to just get back all on the court together it’ll be good for us. And you know, with everything going on in the world, some of us haven’t really played basketball or been up and down and played 5-on-5 in so long. So in that aspect it’ll be good. Cause for a lot of us basketball is our therapy. So for us it’ll be good to just get back with our brothers on the court and hooping again and having fun.”
White said he was surprised the Bulls fired coach Jim Boylen last month and credited Boylen for helping him as a rookie.
“I really didn’t see it coming,” White said. “Jim, I give him all the credit. He was a great coach when he was here. We’re excited to see change, but taking nothing away from him. This season, he helped me out a lot and I can’t thank him enough.”
White said he doesn’t know who the next coach will be, but he might have inadvertently revealed that the new regime led by EVP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is planning to whittle down the nearly dozen-person field Friday. To this point, White said, things like best possible fits haven’t been discussed among the players.
“During the bubble, I’m pretty sure that’ll be something that’ll be talked about,” White said.
White appeared far more concerned with himself and controlling what he can rather than dwelling on what he can’t. It’s now been six months since he’s played a real game, and he’s itching to get back to it. The last we saw him, he was just heating up.
“I feel like at times I was overlooked,” White said. “But I feel at times I didn’t play up to my expectations. Not making the Rising Stars game was also fueling my fire, but I feel the ones who did make it deserved it and deserved to be part of the game. Like I said, it was fuel to my fire. I just wanted to get better. That game kind of helped me. It was a wake-up call for me. After that, I kind of took it how it was and just continued to get better and continue to do what I do. I really didn’t change anything out of my routine or anything. As the season went on, I felt like I got better as a player.”
Swiveling from side to side in an office chair, with a Bulls banner in the backdrop and a disposable blue face covering dangling from his left ear, Coby White characterized unprecedented adjustments brought about by a pandemic.
“It’s a lot,” he said. “It’s a lot to process. It’s a lot to take in. But I feel like I’m doing well with it, I’ve been taking it day by day.”
White’s selection to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, which the NBA announced Tuesday, marked a rare feel-good moment. The Bulls haven’t played since March 10, the night before the NBA shut down because of the coronavirus. White was just getting rolling.
He averaged 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. But in the final nine contests, White logged 34.1 minutes per night and exploded, dropping 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He was named Rookie of the Month for February, which is the month he netted a career-high 35 points against Oklahoma City. That was the third of three consecutive 30-point games White generated, putting him alongside Trae Young as the only rookies since 2000-01 to do so. White, according to The Elias Sports Bureau, is the only rookie to do it in a reserve role since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71.
“The Second-Team All-Rookie was a blessing,” White said on a video call with reporters Wednesday. “It was an honor to be part of that. (I) felt like my season was up and down. It could have been better, but that’s every season. I feel like for me, just working on my efficiency, finishing around the rim and being more of a playmaker when I’m out there on the court, those are my next steps.”
White was one of only two Bulls in an injury-filled season to appear in each of the team’s 65 games. But White, the seventh selection in the 2019 draft, only started the final contest.
“My goal for next year is to be better than I was last year,” White said. “That’s my primary goal is just to continue to get better, and who doesn’t want to be the starting point guard in training camp? You know, that’s my goal. That’s what I want to achieve. And I’m just going to keep working towards that to get that achievement for myself.”
White said he’s been in Chicago for much of the past three months, going through individual workouts at the Advocate Center five days a week. From Sept. 21 to Oct. 6, the league will permit voluntary group workouts for the eight franchises that didn’t qualify for the restart. Until then, it’s one player per basket with a maximum of two coaches at each station. But White said everyone on the roster is in town preparing for the permitted group sessions.
“I think the big thing is just all coming together, getting a feel for each other,” White said. “Just getting that team chemistry back. We’ve been away from each other for so long and we haven’t played with each other in so long, so for us to just get back all on the court together it’ll be good for us. And you know, with everything going on in the world, some of us haven’t really played basketball or been up and down and played 5-on-5 in so long. So in that aspect it’ll be good. Cause for a lot of us basketball is our therapy. So for us it’ll be good to just get back with our brothers on the court and hooping again and having fun.”
White said he was surprised the Bulls fired coach Jim Boylen last month and credited Boylen for helping him as a rookie.
“I really didn’t see it coming,” White said. “Jim, I give him all the credit. He was a great coach when he was here. We’re excited to see change, but taking nothing away from him. This season, he helped me out a lot and I can’t thank him enough.”
White said he doesn’t know who the next coach will be, but he might have inadvertently revealed that the new regime led by EVP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is planning to whittle down the nearly dozen-person field Friday. To this point, White said, things like best possible fits haven’t been discussed among the players.
“During the bubble, I’m pretty sure that’ll be something that’ll be talked about,” White said.
White appeared far more concerned with himself and controlling what he can rather than dwelling on what he can’t. It’s now been six months since he’s played a real game, and he’s itching to get back to it. The last we saw him, he was just heating up.
“I feel like at times I was overlooked,” White said. “But I feel at times I didn’t play up to my expectations. Not making the Rising Stars game was also fueling my fire, but I feel the ones who did make it deserved it and deserved to be part of the game. Like I said, it was fuel to my fire. I just wanted to get better. That game kind of helped me. It was a wake-up call for me. After that, I kind of took it how it was and just continued to get better and continue to do what I do. I really didn’t change anything out of my routine or anything. As the season went on, I felt like I got better as a player.”
推荐
评论 (2)
收藏
分享
举报
只看楼主
