About this time last year, speculation regarding Coby White’s future revolved around the Chicago Bulls’ decision to re-sign him and, once they did, whether he would start or be benched.
On Tuesday night, White’s sole immediate concern was the outcome of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
That’s the magnitude of the leap that White made.
It turned out that Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers won, beating Kevin White, who was the front-runner going into Tuesday’s announcement on TNT’s pregame program. White received 305 points, with 32 first-place votes, 43 second-place votes, and 10 third-place votes; Maxey received 319 points, with 51 first-place votes, 18 second-place votes, and 10 third-place votes.
This award has only ever been won by Jimmy Butler in Bulls team history. Last year’s winner was Lauri Markkanen, a former Bull, for his outstanding play with the Utah Jazz.At 19.1 ppg, White set a new career best, and his 9.4 ppg gain was the greatest in the league. In addition to finishing eighth in minutes played, he set a league record with an increase of 13.1 minutes per game in playing time.
Joining White, Luka Dončić, and Dejounte Murray were the three NBA players who had the following records: 1,000 points, 350 rebounds, 375 assists, and 200 made 3-pointers. He set a new franchise record with 209 3-pointers, surpassing Zach LaVine’s 204 from a single season.
It seems like a lot of the guys are having good seasons. In a recent interview with NBC Sports Chicago, he expressed his desire to get the award as a way to celebrate his hard work. I always think it would be an inspiration for the other young players in the league who weren’t considered stars at first. It was more of a “He can’t make that leap” than a “Aw, he was the seventh pick” kind of dismissal. Many believe that the second to third year is when you really start to see improvements. Mine were from the years of fourth and fifth grade. The moment is perpetually ripe. Look at me, I’m only 24 years old. Rest assured, that task will be completed.