I was sitting at an empty table with my legs crossed sipping on some white wine. The rest of the group was up on the dance floor, sending over the increasingly frequent wave to join them.
I followed up each gesture with a half smile and head shake. I wasn’t the dancing type … or so I thought.
Soon enough the glass was empty and Hall and Oates’ “Rich Girl” began to blare over the speakers. My foot tapped, my head bobbed, and my best friend grabbed my hand. I was now on the dance floor, so why not just enjoy the night?
“Rich Girl” was a rowdy United Center and Coby White was that best friend. As much as I didn’t want to, Wednesday night’s Play-In Tournament victory over the Atlanta Hawks was impossible not to enjoy. The Chicago Bulls played some of their most energized and efficient basketball of the season, and they did it on a national stage.
I want to make one thing clear, my frustration with this organization is alive and well. I also think there is an easy case to make that squeaking into the playoffs is the worst-case scenario for this team as far as the long-term trajectory of the franchise is concerned. But that’s also not on the players. This depleted roster is doing everything it can to survive and advance, which is more than admirable. We can’t take our anger with the problematic embracing of mediocrity out on those guys. It just wouldn’t be fair.
Does that mean you have to root for the Chicago Bulls to steal the No. 8 seed? No. But it also doesn’t mean you have to root against it, in my opinion. Your job as a fan is to embrace the team in whatever way you feel. This is why I have trouble with comments about how the United Center crowd is the problem. At the end of the day, it should not be the responsibility of fans to fix whatever the problem is. The media needs to hold the organization accountable – I may not be considered traditional media, but I’ve surely tried to do my part – and ownership needs to hold the front office accountable.
There needs to be a level of internal motivation for a franchise to be the best it can be. The Bulls haven’t had that for years, and the number of seats filled isn’t going to change that drastically. What do those people want, exactly? Friends and families not to enter the United Center until the Bulls at least crack the second round of the playoffs? Again, a fan’s job is to have fun and support their favorite team. A front office’s job is to strive to make those fans even happier and reward them for their devotion. If anything, the way Bulls fans get up for a 9v10 Play-In Tournament game should be extra motivation to build something truly special.
Anyway, let’s have some fun with Coby White’s big night. Some prominent names across the sports landscape took to social media to give the Bulls’ youngster some major props!
Can’t say enough about the growth of Coby White — there isn’t any aspect of his game that hasn’t improved two-fold. Unlocking it all is his decision-making. Early simple passes, trades good shots for great ones. So much fun to see a young buck blossom. #myMIP— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) April 18, 2024
I know we not supposed to use the word “bag” but Coby white in his bag like he got fries at the bottom right now! God Bless America— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 18, 2024
Seriously, how can you not fall in love with this guy? Despite a broadcasted press conference, White didn’t hesitate to drop a good old-fashioned “motherf****r.” I love how you can tell he immediately looked at the Bulls’ PR person after saying it in the video below …
Q: Do you remember what you said about Jalen Brunson?
Coby: “Yeah I called him a motherfucker.”
Q: Do you think opposing players are saying the same thing about you now?
Few things illustrate the growth of White’s offensive game better than his shot chart from last night. Instead of putting up points on the back of hot 3-point shooting, he used his improved ball-handling to carve up the Hawks’ defense. The Hawks came into the night giving up the sixth-most points in the paint per game. He understood that playing fast and downhill is the best way to attack this team, so that’s exactly what he did on repeat. Not only does this illustrate his improved ability to read the game, but the fact he continued to find success doing so is a testament to his on-court development.
Of course, Ayo Dosunmu also deserves a big round of applause for bringing his downhill mentality. He was questionable coming into the game and missed four straight, but it looked like he didn’t skip a beat. The third-year guard was almost as comfortable as White, scoring 19 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. Dosunmu is now 8-2 in his career against Trae Young.
So the Bulls are destined to get bounced in four games by the Celtics, right? Jimmy Butler is now expected to miss multiple weeks due to an MCL injury he suffered against the 76ers. The Bulls should enter Friday’s matchup with the upper hand – even if Alex Caruso isn’t good to go due to his ankle injury. At the same time, Miami isn’t Atlanta. Their defense is top 5 in the league and Erik Spoelstra is a savant. They are going to play an ugly and physical brand of basketball against this Bulls team, and they’re also going to have their home fans behind them.
Spoelstra lives for these moments …
"We will do this the hard way. That has to be the path right now… We're going to bring a hell of a game on Friday night lights."
Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.
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