Coby White can’t be anything other than himself.
Sunday night’s game in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz was a long-awaited release for White. It had been nearly three months since the Chicago Bulls guard played full-speed basketball after suffering a calf injury in preseason workouts.
The clock was ticking down in the first overtime. The Bulls needed two points to extend the game. And there White went — curls flopping as he tipped his head up to look at the basket, then lowered his chin to blow past Lauri Markkanen.
Bulls guard Coby White steps back to shoot against Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen during overtime Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)
It was a story the Bulls have seen told plenty of times before. Overtime. Another chance. And all because of an extra second of effort from White. In his season debut, he just wanted to remind his team — and himself — who he can be on the court.
“(Coach Billy Donovan) talked to me about coming back and just being aggressive and being who I was last year and not tiptoeing in,” White told reporters after the game. “I’ve been paying attention to how we’ve been playing and practicing and how I can affect the game in a positive way.”
The Bulls went into Sunday’s game with an air of caution. White’s recovery already had been set back several weeks when he stiffened up after his first practice in October. He entered the game with a strict cap on his minutes and a watchful eye from the medical team.
The game did not comply.
As the Jazz chipped away at the Bulls’ double-digit lead, White urged the medical staff to allow him to play past his original 24-minute restriction. The team agreed, with the immediate caveat that he wouldn’t play Monday against the Denver Nuggets in the second night of back-to-back road games.
White ultimately played 30 minutes, 19 seconds — barely three minutes lower than his average last season — and tallied 27 points and eight assists.
His first game of the season couldn’t have been more encouraging for the Bulls. He danced and dodged with the ball in his hands, shimmying through the stop-and-go stutter steps that make him so evasive on offense. At times he was almost overeager, cutting so hard in the second quarter that he left his sneaker behind.
His shot showed slight signs of disuse — White went 3 of 8 from 3-point range and made only 2 of 5 attempts in the paint. He missed eight shots in a row from late in the first quarter to early in the fourth. But he carved out his points where they counted, forcing his way downhill and netting 14 points at the free-throw line.
Still, White’s return wasn’t an immediate solution for the skidding Bulls, who fell 150-147 in double overtime for their fifth straight loss.
Look at the Jazz game from a wider angle. It’s hyperbolic to call the 12th game of the season a “must-win.” But Sunday’s game was as close as it gets.
Bulls guard Coby White reacts to a call during the second overtime against the Jazz on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)
Despite missing backup point guard Tre Jones and backup center Zach Collins, the Bulls were as healthy as they’ve been all season. They were coming off a three-day break with plenty of time to practice and review film. It was the perfect opportunity to snap a losing streak, reintegrate White into the rotation and get back on track.
Instead, the Bulls battled deep into the night before dropping to 6-6 on the season after a breathless 5-0 start.
The Bulls prefer not to frame themselves as a team designed to rely on stars. This is a group that believes in collective effort and balanced scoring. They know they don’t have the personnel to provide consistent bailout performances.
But this team still leans heavily on White, as both a leader and a catalyst for the offense.
Maybe Sunday was too soon for the Bulls to turn the corner. Maybe White needs to get back into rhythm with his shot and his teammates and his place in the offense. Maybe. But even a meteoric offensive push from White wouldn’t be enough to fix what ails the Bulls — a complete lack of defensive deterrence.
The Bulls defense has dropped to the bottom third of the NBA rankings. They’ve given up 126.9 points per game during their 1-6 stretch. They’re allowing 21.3 baskets per game in the restricted area, the highest figure of any team in the league. If — or when — their luck runs out with their opponents’ poor 3-point shooting, the Bulls face the risk of the bottom completely falling out.
White can’t fix the Bulls defense. And for that reason, he can’t fix the Bulls.
While Sunday’s return bodes well for both White and the team, the final score reflected a harsher truth: Even at full strength, the Bulls have plenty to fix if they want to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference.