Coby White suffers knee injury but Billy Donovan says it's nothing serious

Coby White's first taste of NBA preseason action did not go according to plan as he suffered a left knee contusion in the first half that sidelined him for the rest of the game. Fortunately, for both White and the Bulls, head coach Billy Donovan doesn't believe the injury is serious.

Inauspicious start

White entered the season focused on making a profound impact for the Bulls. Unfortunately, an early injury has put a damper on those plans. After playing a little under three minutes in the team's first preseason match against the New Orleans Pelicans and missing two field goal attempts, White was immediately subbed out. The Bulls announced the injury at halftime and labeled White as questionable to return.

However, Donovan quelled any fears about the severity of White's injury after the game. The Bulls' head coach responded with a resounding no when asked if he was concerned about White's knee.

"Coby wanted to go back in. But I think what they worry about is if that muscle doesn't fire, it could cause more problems," Donovan said.

With White set to play a crucial role in the Chicago Bulls' carousel of guards, Donovan didn't think it made sense to risk further injury.

Billy Donovan said Coby White wanted to go back in and hinted he might've if it was a regular season game.

Donovan also said it's a thigh contusion.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 5, 2022

Huge hole to fill

With Lonzo Ball set to miss a huge chunk of the season as he recovers from knee surgery, the third-year guard from North Carolina is set to play a more prominent role off the bench, providing much-needed scoring and playmaking. He averaged 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game last season, numbers the team hopes will rise as they look to replace the production of Ball.

That said, Donovan believes White could have continued playing, especially if it was a playoff game. But it was the preseason, and with the regular season right around the corner, there was no need to take any chances.

"I mean, I think he could have gone back in there and played and probably would want to. But I don't think the risk was worth it," Bulls' head coach said.

Coby White (left knee contusion) is questionable to return to tonight's game vs. the Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/iHy2QrApvW
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 5, 2022