UNC Basketball: Coby White rehabbing for return to court

How long will the Chicago Bulls be without former UNC basketball standout Coby White?

Former North Carolina point guard Coby White has now completed two full seasons in the NBA. Heading into his third season, the former first round pick will have to overcome some obstacles before he’s ready to return to the court.

After the end of the 2020-21 regular season, White underwent surgery on his left shoulder. The early belief from the Chicago Bulls organization was that the former Tar Heel would be re-evaluated at some point in November and return to the court shortly after. White even told reporters that the “last hurdle” was him building strength in his shoulder area, giving a glimpse of hope that he could be back in the near future.

However, the NBA season is ready to begin, and it doesn’t look like we’ll see Coby White on the floor anytime soon. As the Bulls wrapped up their preseason schedule, head coach Billy Donovan was asked to give an update on White’s status. Here’s what Donovan had to say regarding his reserve point guard.

"“I would say we’d probably have a better feel in maybe another month. Besides him being cleared to shoot and to dribble and to pass, he’s really, really got to work on his range of motion and his strength in his range of motion. So he’s not even in a position to do any contact at all. There’s no contact for him in the foreseeable future.’’"

Donovan’s comment that White isn’t cleared for contact yet should be a clear indication that he’s a ways from being medically cleared to return. It’s likely that we’ll have some type of update in the upcoming weeks, and a return could be possible if all goes well over the next month or so.

When he does return to the court, White’s role on the team will certainly be in question. This offseason, the organization added Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso (among others) to go alongside Zach LaVine, so it’s very possible that White will need to battle for minutes when he’s fully healthy.

Needless to say, White could be a very solid contributor for this year’s Bulls squad. The former Tar Heel is coming off a year in which he averaged 15.1 points per game and shot close to 36 percent from three-point range, and his ability to score the basketball could be useful in many aspects for Donovan’s rotation.

We’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but the first hurdle is actually getting White healthy and back on the court. Based on what we know about White from his short time in Chapel Hill, the basketball aspect will figure itself out once he’s fully recovered.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Coby White, and the UNC basketball program.