Stability has been hard to come by for Coby White since being selected by the Chicago Bulls with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. As a rookie under head coach Jim Boylen, White came off the bench in all but one of 65 games for Chicago and saw significant fluctuations in minutes over the course of the year. He struggled to find consistency with his shot and posted just a 1.61 assist to turnover ratio, both problems to be expected from a 19-year-old rookie guard.
As a sophomore last year, White was thrust into the role of starting point guard under new head coach Billy Donovan, which proved to be too much, too soon.
The flashes of playmaking ability were few and far between before Donovan eventually pulled the plug after 36 games, replacing White in the starting lineup with Tomas Satoransky. White was inserted back into the first five for the final 18 games of the season and shot 43% from the field while averaging over 32 minutes per game.
With optimism surrounding that stretch, there was positive momentum ready to be carried into this year. Unfortunately, White tore the labrum in his left shoulder last June, bringing those good vibes to a screeching halt. In the same off-season, the Bulls acquired several high-profile guards in Demar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso, while also drafting Ayo Dosunmo. With Ball providing the exact attributes that Chicago needed from a starting point guard in playmaking, spot-up shooting, and on-ball defense, White appeared headed for the role he’s always appeared best suited for; a score-first guard off the bench.
It seemed simple enough, but just as White was beginning to shake off the rust returning from his shoulder injury in November, he missed five games in the NBA’s health and safety protocols with COVID-19.
The roller coaster ride that has been his young career seemed destined to continue, but White has risen above it. Despite the early-season turmoil, White is enjoying the most productive season as a pro thanks in part to a recent tear over his last five games. During this stretch, including four games as a starter filling-in for Dosunmo (concussion) and Zach LaVine (knee), White is shooting a blistering 53.6% from the field and 55.8% on 3FG, while racking up 21 assists to just six turnovers.
While five games is a minuscule sample size, especially for a player whose shot has historically been as up-and-down as White’s, the bigger picture numbers are even more encouraging. Through 39 games, his shooting numbers are by far the best marks he has posted in his career at 45.3% from the field and 40.1% on 3FG. Additionally, his shot selection is moving in the right direction; according to NBA.com, just 7.3% of his points have been scored in the mid-range area, while 51.1% have come from 3PFG and 30% have been scored in the paint, both career highs.
Thanks in large part to an exponentially more complete roster around him, things have been simplified for White, whether starting or coming off the bench. Caruso, Ball, Dosunmo, and Javonte Green can all help cover for White defensively, while the playmaking the Bulls added has taken that burden off his shoulders. The gravity demanded by DeRozan, LaVine, Ball, and Nikola Vucevic affords White more time and space to operate, all resulting in White’s strengths being highlighted and weaknesses mitigated.
In the clip below, Terrence Ross is concerned with a LaVine-Vucevic two-man game, providing White a half-step head start on Terrence Ross. He uses that window to create plenty of space on a step-back 3-pointer.
Here, White spots-up on the strong side during a DeRozan-Vucevic pick-and-roll. When Aaron Wiggins rotates to step in front of a driving DeRozan to prevent a layup, White nails an easy catch-and-shoot corner 3-pointer.
Better personnel is not the only reason for White’s improvement. The game is slowing down for him and he is consistently making better decisions when putting the ball on the floor, changing pace to keep defenders off balance, allowing him to get into the paint with room to finish.
The chemistry that White and Dosunmo have developed is particularly encouraging. The young duo started the three final games leading-up to the all-star break, helping Chicago to wins against Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Sacramento. In those contests, White averaged 23.7 points on 53.5% shooting in 36 minutes per game, while Dosunmo tallied 19 assists to just seven turnovers in 39 minutes per game. As Ball and LaVine eventually reclaim their spots in the starting lineup, White and Dosunmo should hopefully remain a potent tandem off the bench. Their games clearly complement each other well and with both recently turning just 22-years-old, the pair has intriguing potential.
The challenges for White never stop, and the next step will be continuing to earn his minutes during the stretch run of the season, as Chicago gets healthy and attempts to solidify its rotation before the playoffs begin. With the stakes increasing and the possibility that Caruso, Ball, and Patrick Williams all return in March, playing time will be harder to come by. Donovan will have a myriad of options to call on if White’s shooting cools off. For now, the organization, the fans, and Coby, can enjoy his contributions to winning in a role that fits him best.
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