NBA Notes: Bulls, Coby White, Grizzlies, Ja Morant, Lakers

Bulls

Guard Coby White is getting close to a season debut.

Per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic, White is targeting Chicago’s three-game road swing that starts Nov. 16 — or one of the games shortly after that — as his likely return window.

White and coach Billy Donovan both said he should begin practicing next week. Chicago has a three-day break beginning Nov. 13, and the plan is to get him into full contact during that stretch.

White has been out since mid-August with the calf issue. He said he tried to ramp up too quickly once and felt discomfort.

“It wasn’t a re-strain or anything. It was just a minor setback,” White said. “I’ve been pushing it just to build the tolerance in my calf.”

Donovan cautioned that White should not expect perfection on Day One.

“I think the mistake he can make is to come back tiptoeing in,” Donovan said. “He needs to give himself some grace.”

Chicago is 6-1 and leading the East.

Grizzlies

Memphis is 3-6 and the noise is growing outside their walls.

But Jake Fischer of The Stein Line wrote there is still no indication the Grizzlies are ready to consider moving Ja Morant. Not yet.

One agent told Fischer that “nobody’s doing seismic, monumental things before 20 or 25 games,” which tracks. Memphis wants to see this roster closer to whole before it judges anything.

Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. all still haven’t played.

And while Morant took the early hit publicly, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s role has been just as jarring, wrote Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Jackson was held to nine points on six shots Wednesday. 

Vince Williams Jr. said he thinks Jackson is “over passive” and added, “we need him to score if we want to win.” Morant reportedly told coach Tuomas Iisalo that the bigger issue is spacing.

“It’s not enough space,” Morant said. “We got to make more shots and open up the floor for him.”

Jackson said he remains “very confident” things will snap back. “You just got to be aggressive,” he said.

That’s the theme. Memphis needs its best players to be decisive. And it needs bodies back.

Lakers

The Lakers got a win over the Spurs without LeBron James or Austin Reaves and it wasn’t subtle. Luka Doncic still put up 35 points, 13 assists and five steals. Deandre Ayton had 22 points and outplayed Victor Wembanyama on both ends in a matchup of former No. 1 picks.

“That’s something I’ve been wanting to show, especially to my coaching staff as well,” Ayton said, via Law Murray of The Athletic. “And they trust me to really go out there and guard one or two dribbles before my help comes. And yeah, I’ll be good, comfortable out there. I know my help is coming, so I’m straight.”

There was almost a disaster at the finish. Marcus Smart stepped on the end line on an inbound with 1.2 seconds left. He owned it immediately.

“As a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake,” Smart said. “I take full ownership.”