NBA commissioner Adam Silver did his best to plunge into the great unknown that has gripped the league, the sports landscape, and the entire world.
That’s what discussing the eventual resolution of the coronavirus has become. A series of “what ifs,’’ leaps of faith, and mostly a whole lot of hope.
The hope from the commissioner and NBA owners on Thursday was the league will continue play after the self-imposed 30-day hiatus.
How that will look or if it’s even plausible is still only speculation.
What impact – good or bad – will the time-off have on players? What does it do to the rhythm of a team or an individual? How much practice will be allowed between now and the eventual restart?
That’s the quandary each NBA team is facing, including the Bulls.
Before COVID-19 became a household term, there was little going well on the court for the Bulls. But there was rookie Coby White.
The No. 7 overall pick from the June draft had gone from rookie finding his way, to impact off the bench, to learning how to be a point guard. Then to start last week, he was finally named a starter.
If there is a poster boy for a Bulls player affected by the season suddenly cut short it’s White.
In his last 10 games, White was putting in 33.8 minutes per game, as well as scoring 24.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds, while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three-point range.
In his one game as a starter, the North Carolina product did score 20 points with five rebound, five assists, but also had nine turnovers – a reminder of just how much his decision making was still a work in progress.
What White has shown, however, is adaptability.
He looked overwhelmed with the distance of the NBA three-pointer back in Summer League, but figured it out. He admittedly hit the rookie wall in December and January, looking worn down far too often over those two months, but he figured it out.
The Bulls were hoping that with more practice time and 17 regular-season games left, yes, White would embrace his inconsistency with decision making, and figure it out.
More specifically, with fellow guard Zach LaVine about to return from a quad injury, it would be an early look on the backcourt of the future as far as the organization was concerned.
That’s definitely how LaVine was looking at it when asked about White joining the starting unit.
“It’s going to be real exciting,’’ LaVine said last weekend of White becoming a starter. “He’s obviously proven and played his way into it. I’ve told you guys from the get-go that I thought Coby was going to be a special player. Just playing with him … I mean the last month or so he’s been playing minutes like a starter, which has been good even in crunch time in the fourth quarter.
“We’ve got a good, little bit of a chemistry going, having played with each other. But obviously starting a game you’ve got to come out ready to go. It’s a little different. Just like with anyone else you’ve got to figure out that chemistry and how to manage it.’’
Figuring out that chemistry sooner than later would have been nice for an organization that always seems to have more questions than answers when it comes to roster evaluation.
Now, the Bulls have to play the waiting game with White. Could they get a more detailed fingerprint of his skillset in 30 days? Maybe. But there’s also a chance they have to wait until next September.
The great unknown.
