Point guard Coby White knows if the Bulls are going to turn this early-season slump around it will have to start on the defensive end.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
The defense is nowhere near where Coby White wants to see it.
The team’s, his own, none of it.
Hopefully that’s going to change sooner than later, because White knows that any attempted turnaround from this dismal start to the season begins on the defensive end.
After finishing fifth in defensive efficiency (111.5) last season, the Bulls entered Saturday’s game with New Orleans ranked 21st (115.2). That’s not just a drop off, it’s a complete freefall. One that a certain starting point guard believes can be fixed with the group currently on the roster.
“For us, we’ve got to be more disciplined, more bought in, but definitely more disciplined,” White said. “I think our intentions are right there, but we’ve got to be more disciplined, little more locked into the game plan.”
Not a real surprise that being “bought in” was again thrown out there as an issue.
It’s an ongoing storyline the last few weeks, with several Bulls players tuning out assignments, as well as each other.
And while White’s individual defensive rating is less than stellar (119.1), it’s not from being unprepared.
The former first-round pick from the 2019 draft has been putting more into film study the past few seasons, as well as getting more in tune with the tendencies of opposing guards.
That’s why he was confident that the 114 rating he finished with last season is easily obtainable and will be surpassed.
As for the Bulls as a team?
First things first, like slowing down three pointers.
“Last year what was really good was we were always making that second effort,” White said. “When we started to get out to every shooter that’s when we were at our best. We’ve got to get back to doing that.”
According to White, that starts and ends with communication. When the Bulls have breakdowns, which is frequent this season, miscommunication has often been the main culprit.
A disturbing trend for a group that was mostly a part of that stingy defense last season.
“It’s a different year, but obviously it’s frustrating because we want to be on the same page, we’re working to get on that same page, especially on the defensive end of the court, but it’s a work in progress,’’ White said. “It’s part of the grind going on right now to try and dig out of this hole. We want to get back to being a top five defense, but we’ve got to get back to keep putting in the work.
“We obviously have damn near the same team, so we’ve just got to communicate, play for each other, and have each other’s back.”
Zach attack?
It’s important for the Bulls to make sure that Zach LaVine (right foot) is completely healthy when he’s ready to return, and not just for how he can benefit them on the court, but in the trade market. That’s why they will remain very cautious in getting him up and running again.
According to coach Billy Donovan, LaVine usually “plays through stuff,” but the organization wants him completely pain-free.
“He doesn’t say a lot sometimes,” Donovan said. “But the feeling from the medical staff was to try to get it completely resolved.
Getting acquainted
Because of an injury-plagued career so far, Saturday was just the fifth time the Bulls have faced Zion Williamson in the regular season since he came into the league in 2019.
In his previous four meetings, the power forward averaged 24.8 points per game, and shot 65% from the field.
