The Fastbreak: Bulls bench dominates, Coby White doesn’t skip a beat, big matchup in NBA Cup

The Fastbreak: Bulls bench dominates, Coby White doesn’t skip a beat, big matchup in NBA Cup

Welcome in everybody to this week’s edition of the fast break. We are presented by Dunkin Donuts. I am Casey Johnson and it’s our first mobile edition. Yes, I am taping this in a Denver hotel room after that stirring victory over the Nuggets last night. I actually have some Rocky Mountains in the distance in the window. Traveling can sometimes be glamorous, but it’s really not. Anyway, we’re not here to talk about Bulls beat stuff. We’re talk here to talk about the Bulls. And here are the four storylines that I’m going to be paying attention to most this week. Number one, the Josh Giddy Kobe White combo nation. We got a taste of it in Utah. And man, did it look good. Even with Kobe White coming off the bench and not starting alongside Josh Giddy, which eventually will happen, assuming Kobe White stays at full strength. Um, but look, they played the majority of the stretch together, closing minutes, most of the overtimes. Kobe was in and out a little bit because of that minutes restriction, but blew past it to 30 minutes. And what is not to like about those two guys playing together? They seem to pick off pick up their chemistry from last season immediately. And what I like the most was their both uh their mindset of both relentlessly attacking the rim. Kobe White got to the line 14 times in that double overtime loss in Utah. Josh Giddy, who’s averaging a careerhigh in free throw attempts, got there seven times. Kobe obviously had the 27 points and eight assists. Giddy had that monster triple double of 263 and 13. Yes, they lost the game, but those two playing at that level is an encou encouraging sign if you’re a Bulls fan. They just both are relentless in their attack. Um, that’s the part about the Kobe upsetting the team chemistry dynamic that I never understood because he’s not a selfish player. Eight assists proved that. His shot creation proved that. And really until Kobe came back, they didn’t have anybody else who was elite at breaking defenders off the dribble in the half court situation and getting to the rim. Iumu can do that in transition. He’s one of the best uh transition players in the team and very good at getting downhill. But in the half court situation, uh Josh Giddy uh the responsibility of him in terms of shot creation has been high and Kobe White’s return um should help in that department and you saw that in Utah. So he’s uh scheduled to play on Wednesday in Portland. We’re taping this, as I said, the off day um Tuesday in Denver before they fly to Portland. And then we’ll probably only play one of those two home back-to-back games uh Friday, Saturday against Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards. Um but you’re eventually going to see Kobe White’s minutes restriction lifted. You’re eventually going to see Kobe White return to that starting lineup, and you’re eventually going to see him alongside Josh Giddy for multiple stretches. And that is a good thing if you’re a Bulls fan. All right, number two, the bench. Man, we’re almost running out of adjectives, aren’t we? Uh, just a superlative performance, not only in Utah, but also in Denver. Um, they are second in the NBA behind the Memphis Grizzlies with 48.1 bench points. Their last two games, 71 points in Utah, 66 points in that win in Denver. Now, the uh Utah performance was aided a little bit by Kobe White coming off the bench, which he’s going to do for the foreseeable future. But even before Kobe was in that unit, and that’s a temporary thing, the benches have been playing at a very high level all season long, evidenced by that spectacular performance in Denver. Uh Javon Carter obviously huge in Denver, as was Jaylen Smith and I Dumu. We’re going to get into that for a second. I was talking to Javon Carter postgame in Denver about the bench and I brought up how the 71 points in Utah were aided by Kobe White’s uh insertion into the reserve unit and he was joking. He said, “We don’t need Kobe. We can score without Kobe as a bench unit.” So, there’s a little fun going on in the locker room. By the way, Javon Carter, my favorite possession of the entire season, that heat check three in transition. A miss, chased down his own long rebound and without hesitation let another three-pointer fly. Splash for three. The guy is fearless. And uh look, man, Billy Donovan was ausive in his praise of Javon Carter postgame in Denver. called him one of the most professional people he’s ever been around, one of the hardest working people he’s ever been around. And those of us who are around the team see it. Um, I know some people say Javon Carter is a onetrick pony and uh a little trigger happy with a three-point uh shot, but that’s his role on this team. He does pick up full court defensively as well. And you have to admire a guy who keeps himself ready at all times uh during long stretches of inactivity and then still able to go out there and make the impact that he did in Denver. Jaylen Smith, he’s been balling out at a high level all season. He’s at 40% uh from three on a career-high volume of 4.2 attempts. That’s in like 14 minutes per game. So that guy is going out and doing his role. He’s launching from three. He’s a stretch five, maybe a four depending on what lineup he’s in. Um, pick and pop guy. You have to pay attention to him. Defenses have to respect his shot. Opens up driving lanes, opens up spacing on the floor and he was able to shake off that shoulder stinger that he had in Denver. We talked to him postgame. He not only returned to that game, um, but told us he felt fine afterward. Now, Billy Donovan did raise a slight flag of caution for the future, saying that uh Jaylen Smith was able to return initially, but then when he got taken out that last time in Denver, medical told him that uh he was not available for the rest of the game. So, we’re going to see where he’s at on the injury report. But look, um obviously that would be a loss if he’s not able to play in Portland. But my point about the bench is the depth. It just there’s different guys contributing different nights. Um, you’ve got multiple people filling multiple roles. Dalon Terry came in in Denver provided from some very solid minutes with some defensive aggression, agitation. I loved how he was the first one um objecting to the hard foul uh by Bruce Brown on Patrick Williams. Patrick also got up off the deck and came kind of back at Bruce Brown. That’s the second time Patrick Williams has done that. We have not seen that before from Pee Will. Um, so solid minutes from Dalon Terry in his role of kind of being that agitator and defensive aggress aggressor. So again, lots to like from the bench and let’s see if they can keep it up. They’ve been doing it all season long. They’ve only been outscored as a unit one time through 13 games. That’s impressive stuff. All right, third story line. Obviously, if you’re a Bulls fan, you want the Bulls to win Wednesday night, right? I get it. That’s that’s true and that’s fair. But you should be cheering for the Portland Trailblazers uh for the rest of the season. I like to occasionally have this uh reminder that the Bulls are still owed a first round pick from the Portland Trailblazers who are actually pretty decent this year. Now they’re obviously in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference, but um as of this taping, they’re at six and seven following a tough overtime loss. Um, and that pick obviously is lottery protected for the next three drafts. So obviously if you’re a Bulls fan, you are cheering for Portland to get out of the lottery and then that pick comes the Bulls way. This season would be ideal. Why is that? Well, the Bulls have possession to their own first round pick. Adding a second first round pick in what is considered a pretty solid draft along with all the Bulls expiring contracts would allow the front office to go a lot of different directions and the potential to get creative. Now, I always want to um warn that that salary cap space that is projected for the summer of 2026 could be gobbled up by a cap hold of Kobe White if you’re trying to resign him, which we’ll see how that plays out. But point is obviously two first round picks, more flexibility, asset collection along with all the expiring salaries. So again, you’re cheering for Portland to be good this season. and they actually have back-to-back home games starting tonight. We’re taping this on Tuesday, concluding with the uh Wednesday game against the Bulls. Uh Denny Abdia is looking like potentially an all-star, really, really good player. Uh Kamar is a young talent, very strong defensively. Drew Holidayiday has been a solid offseason pickup. He’s currently sidelineed with a calf injury. Um but again, Portland’s trying to win and if you’re a Bulls fan, that is a good sign. All right, our fourth story line. Do you have NBA Cup fever? I do not, and I have mocked it uh before, but Friday night is actually a pretty big home cup game against that old nemesis, the Miami Heat. They are also one and one in the Bulls group, as are the Bulls and the New York Knicks. The Bucks are 2 and 0, although they might be without Giannis moving forward as he suffered a groin injury uh this week. Um, and look, I’ve given uh NBA Commissioner Adam Silver a lot of credit for the playin tournament. I think that’s really really hit on a high level. It’s created a lot of excitement, allowed a lot of teams to stay in contention, energized the fan base, energized the players. I mean, the Bulls have been in that playin race for multiple seasons in a row, and it’s created a lot more intrigue, competitiveness, excitement. So, the play in tournament A+ NBA Cup, I’m not feeling it. And I’m painting with broad brush strokes here, but in my conversations around the league, there’s just not a lot of buzz or excitement about it. Uh, the courts are fire. I’m not going to lie. The Bulls home court this season in particular, I love. Um, and again, if you are you’re playing to win, right? And if you end up coming out of the group stage to the knockout rounds and get past those, you’re going to Vegas at some point. But I just don’t think the idea has caught fire. And I’m not the only one. Like I said, I’ve talked to some players about it and even some of the European players I’ve talked to about it. Um, you know, obviously overseas they do this and it has created the excitement that was Adam Silver’s model when he uh created this situation. Um, but uh it hasn’t quite caught on with the same level of intrigue or excitement to this point with the NBA. So that’s my take on it. Um that said, Friday is a pretty big cup game because if the Bulls are able to go two and one, their final cup game is the final Friday of the month. Uh the day after Thanksgiving in Charlotte against a young and improving Charlotte team, but still one that you should probably get. So, the Bulls have a chance to be one of those uh either group stage winners or wild cards. There are uh eight I actually had to look this up. That’s how little I know about the NBA Cup. There are eight teams that advance to the knockout rounds, the six group stage winners, and then one wild card from each conference. So, you win Friday against the Miami Heat, you’re still in the running to advance to the knockout rounds and then potentially to Las Vegas. And then, of course, there’s the little subplot of the Miami Heat. The Bulls age-old nemesis in what I previously mentioned, the playin tournament and all the intrigue there. So, the Bulls obviously are still referencing that ridiculous performance uh in last uh season’s home plan loss to the Miami Heat. Be nice to get a little bit uh of revenge on Friday at the United Center. So, uh that’s what I’m going to be checking out this week. Those are the four storylines. And man, great victory in Denver for the Bulls. We are going to close this edition with yes, the Banner Bull. By now, if you’ve been watching this fast break, this has become a regular staple. It’s where I pick one player that I think is going to have the most impact on the week ahead. I was over two. I’m taking a victory lap. My uh producer Kevin Lapka disagrees with me, but he’s wrong. And I’m right. I Dumu was my banner bull for last week. I got that one right. First of all, to me, he was one of the most impactful players in that Denver victory. had that huge steal and dunk late in a onepossession game. Um, for the four games last week, he averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 assists, and 26.8 minutes. Shot 55.8% from the floor, 41.2% from three. As I mentioned before, he’s uh very good in transition, one of the best downhill players in the team. I think defensively, he’s been very good this season. I talked to IO about his three-point shooting. It’s over 40% not only for this week when I correctly picked him as the banner bull, but for the season, he put a lot of work into that shot this off season once he was cleared to do that following that shoulder surgery. Um, he knew he shot a poor percentage last season. He was very disappointed with himself from that and he’s become very reliable from that distance this season. So, I’m one for three. Got that one right. And my banner bull for the week ahead is Josh Giddy. Man, that dude has picked up right where he left off before his ankle injury. Two very, very solid games in Utah and Denver playing heavy minutes and still producing at a high level. And um Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman made a very interesting point pregame. First of all, he said he’s playing at an allstar level and he unsolicited talked about how this trade that was mocked at the time is a trade that really has worked out for both teams because obviously you place Alex Caruso on a team with a timeline more suited for his skill set and they win a championship. And now you’ve got Josh Giddy on a team that more fits his skill set where you can put the ball in his hands and let him run the show. His usage is totally different obviously in Chicago than it would be in Oklahoma City with the MVP emergence of Shay Gilis Alexander. Sam Prey knew that. The Thunder executive our carnish knew that the Bulls executive should have the Bulls got draft compensation. That’s the age-old argument especially with all the draft picks the Oklahoma City Thunder have. I can tell you that in my conversations about that trade, I was told that the Oklahoma City Thunder also believed Josh Giddy would be an all-star at some point in his career, particularly in the Eastern Conference and in a role where he’s best suited. And that was Adelman’s point last night here in Denver. He’s in a role that is best showcasing his strengths. You have to give him the ball. You have to let him run the show. and his ability to get to the rim, create pressure, get to the line, kick outs for other shots is really, really shining thus far this season. The dude’s averaging almost a triple double, and that’s why he is my pick for Banner Bull this week. Let’s see if I can get another one right. Perhaps Lapka and I will have another argument. Until then, uh, thank you so much for watching this edition of the Fast Break. It’s mobile on the road and we are presented by Dunkin Donuts. Thank them for their support and we will check you out next week. Thanks for watching.

K.C. Johnson breaks down the top storylines for the Bulls this week as they play three crucial games to finish the week.

0:36 – 3:15: Chemistry between Giddey & Coby
3:16 – 7:11: Bulls bench is one of best in NBA
7:12 – 9:22: Bulls root for Trail Blazers after Wednesday
9:23 – 12:33: Bulls face Heat in NBA Cup on Friday
12:34 – 15:42: K.C.’s Banner Bull

#nba #chicagobulls #cobywhite

✅: 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 – https://www.youtube.com/@CHSN_Media

📱: 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽
▪️ https://2ly.link/243X4

🖥️ : 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝘀𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁
▪️ https://bit.ly/3D4PDaR

📱: 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀
▪️ Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CHSN
▪️ Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHSN
▪️ Follow on X: https://twitter.com/CHSN__
▪️ Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chsn