4. Coby White, Chicago Bulls
12.6 PPG, 3.6 REB, 2.8 AST
While I wouldn’t say he’s been lighting the league on fire from a passing perspective, there’s no denying Coby White has already made his mark in the scoring department for the Chicago Bulls.
Put simply, he’s a shot maker. That was the case coming out of college for him, as many scouts profiled him as a shoot-first guard who specialized in timely outside shooting and buckets at the rim in transition. At least that was the type of game he showcased while at North Carolina.
The impact he’s given off the bench for the Bulls has been incredibly similar, still providing the same shot making on comparable efficiency.
His pick-and-roll game absolutely needs work, especially when it comes to passing out of those actions. Right now, White is a one-read guard who tends to force looks for himself if he isn’t able to get the ball to his first option off the roll or pop. It takes time for young point guards to find their footing in the NBA, and White is no exception.
For now, his spot-up shooting from 3 and ability to convert on cuts and slashes to the rim are enough to justify his sixth man role off the bench. The more dynamic of a playmaker he becomes, the quicker he’ll jettison Tomas Satoransky out of the starting lineup, as the only thing he’ll have on White in time is size at the position to offer more defensive versatility.
White is the more complete guard and it’s easy to see that he’s Chicago’s best option moving forward. It’s only a matter of time before more of his game comes around.