Chicago Bulls: Coby White is the long-term answer at point guard

Coby White can stretch the floor for the Chicago Bulls

According to San Antonio Spurs coaching legend Gregg Popovich, in the modern NBA, you can simply look at the column for made 3-pointers to figure out which team won that night’s game. Alas, the 3-point shot is being taken in volumes previous generations would’ve considered obscene. In just his second season, Coby White has proven that not only can he play this modern style of basketball, but he can also excel while doing so.

This season, White is averaging 6.4 3-point attempts per game. He’s knocking them down at 35.4 percent. That means that on an average night, opposing defenses can expect him to hit two or three shots from deep. Those points can be huge when swinging momentum in Chicago’s favor. When his high-flying backcourt mate Zach LaVine attacks the basket, White must be ready to shoot as LaVine kicks the ball out of the paint to escape a double team. So far, White has held up his end of the bargain and made team’s pay for double-teaming Zach.

White’s ability to stretch the floor is also important for frontcourt players like Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter. Both players are having highly productive seasons. The extra space they have to operate on the interior can largely be attributed to the defense’s inability to clog up the paint. If defenders drift towards the interior to double team Markkanen or Carter, White will make them pay by knocking down a three. Opposing coaches will be forced to yank said player from the game and give him an ear-full about how to read a scouting report.