One player has been lighting up the scoreboard for the Chicago Bulls, but it may earn him a spot on the bench rather than the starting five. Why? Looking at the entire body of work this summer is essential when answering that question. The Bulls’ top priority is replacing Lonzo Ball’s skillset, something Patrick Beverley was shades of during the latter portion of last season and a task they brought in Jevon Carter to fulfill. The point guard battle that players and coaches are referencing has been preseason’s hottest subject, and it’s becoming clearer who might come out on top. Coby White’s scoring ability has been impressive, but his ball-dominant scoring and distributing might land him back in a sixth-man role. Ball was not a ball-dominant scoring guard but a defensive menace, transition speedster, and high-intelligence facilitating guard. DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic will continue to own the bulk of the shots in the starting five, another reason White came off the bench a season ago.
Coby White’s Flashy Preseason
White is averaging 14 points and over four assists through three preseason games, although his last one was most similar to what the regular season will look like for him. With most of Chicago’s starters sidelined for rest, White started alongside Patrick Williams, Torrey Craig, Ayo Dosunmu, and Andre Drummond, a cast he will likely be in heavy rotation with during the 2023-24 campaign.
Combining for 40 points on over 50% from the field, including 6-for-12 from three-point range, Williams and White should be the features of the Bulls’ bench this season. Both young players need increasingly more shot attempts to flourish, while the starting trio of LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic will again average nearly 50 shots per game together. While White has drawn the starting gig in the first three preseason games, it’ll be a storyline to watch as Chicago heads into their final two preseason contests. Donovan has said these last two will be utilized to normalize the regular season lineups and minute allocations headed into their opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 25th.
Earning The Keys To The Second Unit
Coby White’s impressive offensive output gives his head coach confidence in a second-unit leader. A season ago, White was the second-highest volume three-point shooter with a top-five percentage on the team and finished the year with nearly three assists per game to only one turnover. Returning to the bench would give him the flexibility to continue his ball-dominant play style and improve his efficiency again this season. Having only started 27% of his appearances over his four-year career, this is a comfortable role for the former Tar Heel.
Chicago was 26th in bench scoring in 2022 and could take significant strides with the 22- and 23-year-olds Patrick Williams and Coby White together. Last night’s preview could turn into the bench unit for the 2023 regular season, and these last two preseason games will hopefully experiment with that grouping. Expect Jevon Carter to move to the starting point guard position as a more efficient scoring player who doesn’t need the ball in his hands with better ball security than White.
What role would you like to see the recently extended Coby White, starting alongside Chicago’s big-three with less of a role or a bench role where he’s one of the featured offensive players with more freedom to attack?
