Chicago Bulls guard Coby White is a top candidate to win NBA Most Improved Player this season, and it is one award that remains on the mind of the five-year veteran.
“It would mean a lot to me,” White told NBC Sports Chicago. “Just to show the progress I’ve made and to set the example to younger guys around the NBA that people can count you out and say what you want about you.
“But as long as you stay true to who you are, keep working and stay humble throughout, things can come your way.”
Per multiple NBA betting sites, White holds second-best odds below Tyrese Haliburton to win NBA Most Improved Player. Sportsbooks are still showing decent odds for Jalen Williams.
COBY WHITE IS A BAD MAN.
37 pts | 5 reb | 7 ast | 14-19 FG pic.twitter.com/FQHYwGDj5d
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 5, 2024
White, 24, bolstered his argument for winning the award by helping Chicago overcome a 22-point deficit in Monday night’s 113-109 win over the Sacramento Kings.
After not attempting a single shot in the first quarter, White went on to score a career-high 37 points on 14-of-19 (73.7%) shooting from the field and five 3-pointers.
“At this point in the season, however you can get wins, you’ve got to get wins,” said White, who added five rebounds and seven assists against the Kings. “You’ve got to start stacking wins. I don’t care how we get them. I don’t care how it looks. At the end of the day, if we win, that’s all we care about.”
Chicago Bulls’ Coby White could become the odds-on favorite to win NBA Most Improved Player
The North Carolina native is the first Bull to notch 37 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and one steal in a single game on 70% shooting from the field since Michael Jordan in 1990.
Furthermore, Chicago outscored Sacramento 36-18 in the fourth quarter to end a four-game skid against the Kings. White now has seven 30-point games this season, matching his total from his previous four seasons combined.
“I was just trying to let the game come to me, not force it,” White mentioned. “I was just trying to play within the flow of the offense.”
Here’s all you need to know about Coby White’s winning mentality.
Asked if he knew where his previous career high came, he correctly said “here,” as in Sacramento.
But then he added: “But I had zero turnovers that night and three tonight.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 5, 2024
Through 61 games (all starts) this season, White is averaging career highs of 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 36.7 minutes per game while shooting career bests of 45.4% from the field and 38.7% beyond the arc.
The UNC product leads the NBA with 2,241 minutes played. He also ranks 11th in made 3-pointers (172) this season, 19th in field goals missed (509), 11th in 3-point attempts (445), and eighth in games played.
Additionally, his player efficiency rating (15.1) and true shooting percentage (58.3%) are career highs as well.
