The fourth quarter i😼s about to become a lot less interesti👍ng at the United Center.
Despite the Chicago Bulls’ lackluster record, DeMar DeRozan arguably made the team a must-watch in crunch time. The veteran forward had long been known as a clutch player, but the lore surrounding his late-game capabilities only grew over the past few seasons. DeRozan finished second in total clutch pointꦡs scored in each of his three campaigns with the Bulls. For clarification, clutch points are those scored in the final 5 minutes of a game that is within 5 points or less.
Joel Embiid (2021-22), De’Aaron Fox (2022-23), and Stephen Curry (2023-24) were the only players to finish ahead of DeRozan during his time in Chicago, respectively. And I think those names go a long way in highlighting the class of talent he consistently found himself in. He repeatedly kept the Bulls alive in games they shouldn’t have been a part of, wearing opponents down with his lethal mid-range game.
On the one hand, with the Bulls now invested in lottery odds, it should be seen as a positive that DeRozan will take his crunch-time skills to Sacramento. They do not need someone to pull wins out of thin air. On the other hand, the Bulls have a roster full of youngsters who need to develop. Pulling off a handful of close contests and proving to be at least somewhat competitive in late-game situations can be a big part of that development. So … who can they trust to now fill the clutch void?
Clutch Coby White!
Zach LaVine is going to get his fair share of fourth-quarter shot attempts as long as he’s in Chicago. And rightfully so. The two-time All-Star – when healthy – is one of the best three-level shotmakers in the NBA, and we shouldn’t forget that.
At the same time, LaVine’s decision-making has been a long-standing concern. He also isn’t part of the long-term plans in Chicago, which means putting the ball in his hands during the game’s biggest moments probably isn’t in the organization’s best interest. With that being the case, there is another obvious candidate to take over clutch duties.
Coby White reached a new level last season. Whether it be draining a clutch catch-and-shoot triple or putting his head down to get to the rim, White was an underrated clutch contributor. The Bulls’ guard finished 12th in total clutch points scored and first in total clutch assists. Now, did the fact that the Bulls played in the third-most clutch games have a role in this? Sure. But that doesn’t change the fact that White found himself in some flattering company!
Let’s look at the names in the Top 15 of total clutch points last season: Stephen Curry (189), DeMar DeRozan (182), Damian Lillard (139), Nikola Jokic (129), De’Aaron Fox (122), Mikal Bridges (114), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (112), Trae Young (107), Dejounte Murray (106), Jalen Brunson (106), Giannis Antetokounmpo (104), Coby White (99), Kevin Durant ಞ(99), Anthony Edwards (98), LeBron James (98).
For what it’s worth, that outlined the most efficient clutch scorers in the league last season. White is front and center.
Again, he may have benefitted slightly from playing more clutch games than others, but the graphic also shows that he completely ran with the opportunity! The fact he finds himself alongside this list of All-NBA players speaks to how impressive his clutch contributions were. You don’t just end up on that list. Add in the fact that he beat out players like Tyrese Haliburton, Lillard, and Draymond Green in clutch assists, and things become all the more impressive.
For a player who once had trouble with consistency and playing at more than one speed, White’s clutch performance last season bodes well for his future. Even if the Bulls didn’t walk away with an above-.500 record, this showed White’s ability to impact winning and take on a leadership role. Out of the reasons to be optimistic about the player he can still become for this Bulls team, I think this might as well be the biggest one.
Bring on Clutch Coby!
