The Charlotte Hornets have signaled a massive shift toward postseason contention by acquiring dynamic scorer Coby White from the Chicago Bulls. In exchange, the Hornets sent fan-favorite Collin Sexton to Chicago. The Hornets are betting on the North Carolina native as they aim to end a decade-long playoff absence. By DIAMOND VENCES| ROD BOONE
The ride to the United Center in a vehicle other than an automobile was weird enough and that feeling only got exacerbated once inside the building.
Coby White needed directions to the visitor’s locker room; he’d never ventured there before.
“I’ve been on the other side of it,” White told the Charlotte Observer on Tuesday. “Riding here on the bus, staying in a hotel last night ... I’m a pretty much grounded guy, so I try not to get too high or too low. But I think I was more so appreciative of how far I came in this organization when I was walking in here.”
Now a member of the Charlotte Hornets and suiting up for the franchise from his native state, White’s debut will come against his former team: the Chicago Bulls.
Acquired along with the since-waived Mike Conley Jr. from Chicago Bulls on Feb. 4 in exchange for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and two second-round picks, White has been sidelined nursing a left calf strain since coming to the Hornets. He’s missed all seven games, but is ready to start asserting himself.
Beginning with the team that drafted the former North Carolina Tar Heel sixth overall in 2019 following a standout season in Chapel Hill.
“It’s weird,” White said. “It’s crazy how everything worked out. It wasn’t planned for sure. This is kind of how it happened. So, I know this wasn’t like a target date or anything. This was in this general area where I could come back. It could have been this week, could have been next week.
“It was just in this general area. And it just worked out that I was able to play here.”
Coby White will make debut with Charlotte Hornets’ in Chicago. Tyler Clouse Getty Images
Conspiracy theorists probably think White circled this game on his calendar. He insists that’s not the case at all.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a revenge game or nothing like that,” White said. “Like I said, I got a lot of love for the organization. I just want to win, so I just want to do whatever it takes (Tuesday night). I know it’s obviously first game, whole new team, whole new system. So, I know it’s going to take a little bit of time to get adjusted to that. So for me, just focusing on giving myself a little bit of grace in terms of learning the system, learning my teammates.
“It is really just focusing on how can I impact the game because I know it’s not going to be easy.”
The smile on Charles Lee’s face as he explained what White’s presence will add to the Hornets’ young core easily provided insight on what kind of boost the second-year coach expects. There’s no denying White’s qualifications to leave his imprint on both sides of the ball.
“He’s going to bring an extra layer of offense to our group,” Lee told The Observer. “He’s so dynamic in a lot of different ways and has the ability for himself to score, to also be fouled, but also to pass and get other guys open looks.
“And then I think defensively I’ve seen a competitive spirit about him as going against him when he was in Chicago, but also just having him in the gym watching some of his five-on-five action. He communicates really well. He’s got a great basketball IQ. So, I think he elevates our group in a lot of different ways.”
Coby White speaks with Chicago media after Charlotte Hornets’ shootaround. RODERICK BOONE roboone@charlotteobserver.com
When he’s finally settled in, whether it’s a week or month from now, White already has a vision of how he’ll be able to make an impact with the Hornets beyond the 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists he’s averaged in 451 career games.
It starts with the mental and blossoms via a floor vision honed in his six-plus seasons.
“I think first is just using my years of experience and everything I’ve been through to help in terms of leadership, in terms of using my voice,” White said. “I think just on the court, just figuring out, obviously you want to be yourself, but the reality is you got to fit into a new system, into a new role. So for me, it’s ‘How can I be myself while also fitting into a new role and a new system?’
“If I just focus on that everything will take care of itself in terms of me impacting the game, just because I’m going to compete, and I’m going to play hard, and I’m going to play with effort, and I’m going to play with joy and passion. That’s already a given in terms of me just going through these games and figuring out how my skill set applies to helping the team.”
White spent the bulk of this month rehabilitating with the Hornets’ performance staff ensuring his calf would be able to fully endure the season’s grueling stretch run — which features another West Coast trip — and be available to play in multiple outings in multiple days. His injury is part of the reason the trade was amended from the Hornets sending two second-rounders to Chicago instead of three as originally agreed upon.
But he’s ready to go and all those games on the bench could reap huge dividends.
“It gave me time to learn to play good, learn the system,” White said. “It gave me time to also build relationships with the guys so that it translates over on the court. Now I feel like we have a better foundation and I’m not just going in blind like I was to play when I first got traded. So, I try to look at it that way, too.
“I got an opportunity to kind of take it slow, first build relationships and then get a hold of the playbook, study the playbook. So, I think that’s been good for me.”