Chicago Bulls guard Coby White couldn\u2019t help but be in awe of some of the things he saw from San Antonio Spurs rookie and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama when their teams faced off.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy, the amount of shots he alters on defense,\u201d White said via Bulls Postgame Live on December 21. \u201cOffensively, he had the behind-the-head pass, the hee-hee was crazy. He\u2019s just a different type of talent. I\u2019ve never been on the floor with someone like that. So, for me, like I always say, I try not to take those things for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bulls limited Wembanyama to a season-low seven points on 37.5% shooting.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, he\u2019s gonna be really, really good in the coming years,\u201d White insisted. \u201cHe\u2019s really freaking good at basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wembanyama, who was making his return from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury, is averaging 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game this season.<\/p>\n
He sits atop the Kia Rookie Ladder, per NBA.com on December 20.<\/p>\n
But 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder is the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year, per Vegas Insider.<\/p>\n
Even if Wembanyama doesn\u2019t win the away, his impact has been clear, like when White drove to the basket and scored on the big man in the third quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey could have called a foul because I held his arm on the sweep-through. Because I knew if I didn\u2019t, he was probably gonna block it,\u201d White said. \u201cJust having to do that in your mind while he\u2019s on you, obviously, disrupts you as an offensive player.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I made a nice move, whatever,\u201d said White. \u201cBut probably nine times out of 10 or eight times out of 10, he\u2019s probably blocking that or meeting me at the rim and altering that shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
And Wembanyama\u2019s height only enhances an already-diverse skill set.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce he gets the ball in the paint, he\u2019s 7\u20194\u201d, he can shoot over you or around you, or he can read the defense and throw the pass over top,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n
Coby White Quotes Alex Caruso
\nThe Bulls shot just 7-for-28 from beyond the arc in the contest. And they finished the first half with a four-point lead despite being 1-for-4 from deep. White credited Alex Caruso\u2018s message to the team throughout the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike AC was saying the whole night, \u2018You\u2019re not gonna shoot 50% from the three-point line every night. You gotta embrace the challenge, embrace what\u2019s going on,\u2019\u201d White said. \u201cAC just kept telling us that, kept telling us that. Like he said, you\u2019re not gonna shoot the ball exceptionally well every night. So we gotta find ways to win.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bulls finished the game plus-8 in the turnover margin.<\/p>\n
They also got a big boost, specifically when it came to limiting Wembanyama\u2019s effectiveness in the paint where he attempted just three shots on the night.<\/p>\n
Andre Drummond\u2019s \u2018Physicality Changed the Game\u2019 for Bulls vs Spurs
\nBulls center Andre Drummond recorded 12 points, eight rebounds, five steals, two blocks, and one assist. But it wasn\u2019t just what he did in the stat sheet.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis physicality changed the game for us on both ends, on defense and on offense. Just getting to the glass, not allowing Wemby to feel comfortable in the paint, which he\u2019s really good at,\u201d White said. \u201cBut his physicality changed the game, I feel like, in both halves. He just came locked in, and he\u2019s been doing that all year.\u201d<\/p>\n
art of our success,\u201d White said. \u201cThe physicality he brings to the game, it\u2019s well-needed each and every night.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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