Bulls banking on Giddey-White backcourt to deliver

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The Chicago Bulls are hoping their significant investment in Josh Giddey pays dividends this season, with the Australian guard and backcourt partner Coby White viewed as essential to the franchise's push up the Eastern Conference standings.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the friendship between the two guards began with a prank, Giddey warning White about the fictional drop bear, a supposedly vicious marsupial that attacks unsuspecting tourists from trees.

White believed the tall tale for about a month before discovering he'd been had.

"That broke the shell, and he became a really good friend of mine," White said.

But it's their on-court chemistry that has Bulls management excited. After a clunky start adjusting to playing together, the pair found their groove following Zach LaVine's trade to Sacramento in February.

White averaged 23.1 points per game in the back half of last season, whilst Giddey posted remarkable numbers, 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists whilst shooting 45.7% from beyond the arc.

Those are All-Star calibre statistics, and with Chicago investing $100 million in Giddey and potentially another $140 million to retain White in free agency next off-season, the franchise needs at least one of them to earn that recognition.

White has missed the 2-0 start to the season for the Bulls with a calf strain that the Bulls are managing cautiously, but he's confident the partnership will thrive when both are able to share the court.

"He's super competitive, and I am, too," White said of Giddey.

"It took me an adjustment to get used to playing with him because sometimes I don't think I'm open and he passes it, and I actually was open."

For his part, Giddey isn't focused on individual honours, telling the Sun-Times that accolades follow team success.

"For me, All-Star, all those things, those will happen in time," the Victorian said. "I never sit here trying to look three, four months ahead."