The Chicago Bulls will miss a key player when they take on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
Coby White, who was initially believed to be on pace to have a chance to take on the Pistons for the opener, is now expected to miss the first game of the Bulls’ 2025-2026 NBA season. According to an update from the team, White is expected to be off the court for multiple weeks.
via @ChicagoBulls: Medical Update: Coby White has resumed on-court basketball activities and continues to make progress in his ramp up phase for a right calf strain. White will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Medical Update: Coby White has resumed on-court basketball activities and continues to make progress in his ramp up phase for a right calf strain.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 20, 2025
White will be reevaluated in two weeks. pic.twitter.com/Q0brTzWVNp
The Chicago Bulls are already seen as a rebuilding squad in the Eastern Conference.
White was primed to take another step forward as one of the key players on the team from the jump, but his injury is ill-timed. The Pistons, who are coming off a shockingly successful 2024-2025 season, can take advantage of the Bulls’ recent setback.
During the four-game series throughout the regular season last year, the Pistons took care of business against Chicago more often than not. The late November matchup between the two teams resulted in a 122-112 victory for the Bulls.
From that point on, the Pistons took control of the series. With three games, all in February, the Pistons dominated. The first matchup resulted in a 127-119 victory for Detroit. The second was a 132-92 victory for the Pistons. The third and final game ended with the Pistons winning 128-110.
Throughout his career, Coby White has faced the Pistons 21 times. Against Detroit, White has averaged 11.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He has shot slightly under his average from the field, making just 38 percent of his field goals against the Pistons.
White is a former seventh-overall pick for the Bulls, making the league out of North Caolina. He started his NBA career as a reserve. Although he started 54 games as a second-year player, White was back to a bench role for two more years before becoming a full-time starter over the last two years.
Last season, White appeared in 74 games for the Bulls. He averaged 33.1 minutes on the court, making 45 percent of his field goals and averaging 20.4 points per game. The veteran guard dished out 4.5 assists per game, and came down with 3.7 rebounds.
Since White won’t face the Pistons on Wednesday, the next chance he’ll get to take on Detroit will be on November 12 in Michigan.
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