1. Coby White is playing like a top-10 draft pick
To bolster depth at the lead guard slot, the Chicago Bulls selected Coby White from the University of Carolina with the No. 7 overall pick. On the heels of a not-so-great performance in the Summer League tournament (3-for-30 from long range), White was given significant playing time during the preseason slate (25.6 minutes per contest) and he made the most of it.
In those five outings, he averaged 19.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 43.2 percent from 3-point territory. For obvious reasons, those numbers were not going to be sustainable once the games started to count, but that hasn’t stopped White from being a spark for the Bulls off the bench.
Through the first four games, White has posted two-double digit outings, including a 25-point, six-rebound gem against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 25, helping the Bulls post their lone win of the season. His averages include 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists on a slash line of .438/,316/.778.
Sure, White hasn’t played too well over the last two outings, shooting 5-for-19 (26.3 percent). But these kind of performances are to be expected from a rookie who’s trying to acclimate himself to the NBA game.
When it’s all said and done, though, White is going to have a good rookie campaign. Even more important, for third straight year, the Bulls will have acquired a solid player at the No. 7 spot.