Coby White acknowledges Torrey Craig's extended absence from the Bulls: "He cares about winning and defense"

Coby believes that the Bulls will miss Torrey’s defensive and communication impacts.

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls couldn't catch a break as they seized another bad news, this time about Torrey Craig, just as they were finally heading upward and recovered from a sluggish start to the season.

It was announced Tuesday that Craig will require eight to ten weeks of recovery because of an acute sprain of his right plantar fascia. He sustained the injury Saturday against the Miami Heat and went on to miss the Bulls’ Monday dub against the Philadelphia 76ers.

With Craig slated to miss significant action until around February, Chicago understands the massive hole created by the veteran’s absence. As such, it seems that Coby White fully knows deeply the impacts that the team will sorely miss in the wake of Torrey’s inactivity.

Defense and winning

Perhaps the most critical component that the Bulls will have to endure in Craig's unavailability is defense, which White fully acknowledged.

According to Coby, Torrey built that reputation of fighting against his offensive matchup. In addition, Craig’s mentoring has also helped him and other Bulls' young guns in approaching defensive assignments.

"He cares about winning and defense. That's it. He takes pride in every matchup he has. He never wants a double-team. And especially on the defensive end, he's always talking and teaching us young guys," White said. "And the one thing I love about him is he's not afraid to use his voice.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TORREY CRAIG!

Loved this block by TC 😤😤😤@TCraig_23 | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/AJH8FkEdzQ

— Bulls Nation (@BullNationCHI) December 19, 2023

A huge void in team communication

Craig arrived in Chicago last offseason and fully embraced the role of being a reliable defensive reserve.

With his experience and versatility as well, his way of communicating and transparency has given Chicago a great spark in their best stretch so far.

"Even sometimes if it's not what the coaches said but the players feel. If the players feel a certain type of way, [Craig] going to be the one who will say, 'We feel like we should do this.' And then we come to a common ground, which is great for communication,” White added. “That's what he brings to the table. That's why you could put him on any team and he's going to thrive. He's going to hoop."

Torrey Craig will miss two months due to an acute sprain of the right plantar fascia