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Report predicts Coby White will win the Most Improved Player award
As disjointed as this season has been for the Chicago Bulls (again), there has been a bright spot in the form of fifth-year guard Coby White. According to a new report on Bleacher Report, he may be on track to take home some serious hardware at the end of the season.
The report, written by NBA expert Grant Hughes, predicts that White will win the Most Improved Player award this season. This is based on his impressive performance so far this year, which has seen him double his scoring average from last season and significantly improve in other key areas.
Established himself as a rising star
After earning the starting spot this season, the former Tar Heel immediately raised eyebrows, not because of his superb play but because of some iffy performances. Through the first 20 games of the season, White averaged only 14 points on 41 percent shooting.
However, he turned things around in December, leading the Bulls back from a horrible 5-14 start and averaging over 22 points per game on 46 percent shooting, including 40 percent from long distance.
And though White has had some bad stretches—probably because of tired legs due to the number of minutes he’s played—there’s no denying his impact this season. He has been more than just a scorer, he has also become a reliable playmaker and defender.
“On the year, White is up to 19.7 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds while hitting 39.1 percent of his triples—all career bests. Once an iffy bet to stick in a rotation as a score-first combo guard, White is now a quality starter at the point,” Hughes wrote.
Will an injury dampen his campaign?
However, White had the misfortune of injuring his hip late in the thrilling match against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. While it remains to be seen how serious the injury is, it has raised concerns about whether or not it will affect his successful season.
According to Hughes, Bleacher Report’s pick for this award was Toronto’s Scottie Barnes before a fractured hand put him on the shelf for the remainder of the season. That leaves White as one of the top contenders for this honor, especially if he can immediately return from his injury and continue to perform at a high level.
