The Bulls still deem rookie Coby White a legit starting point guard.
Someday.
Heck, White sees himself in that lead guard role someday.
The problem is “someday’’ is definitely not now with the sample size that’s been on display for the last five weeks or so.
A 6-foot-4 leap of faith that the organization is taking in hopes that it will click and come together.
“It’s developing … his decision-making is developing,’’ coach Jim Boylen said of White, when asked about that all important aspect of a legit NBA point guard. “I think that’s for everybody. I think in the league, that’s the whole, regardless of your position, what decisions do you make with the ball? When to pass, when to shoot, when to move, how to screen, when to screen? That’s just what our game is. He’s not any different than anybody else.’’
Not necessarily true.
Yes, the growing pains might be the same for White as any 19-year-old rookie, but the combo guard was drafted as a point guard with the No. 7 overall pick out of North Carolina last June by the Bulls, despite many scouts seeing his play-making and decision-making as a big talent gap he would have to overcome.
While the gap has closed since Boylen made White take over more primary ball-handling minutes with the second unit back in December, has it closed enough for the organization to enter the offseason and not address the position in free agency or the draft?
That will really tell everyone how they feel about White’s talent.
“I coached [former combo guard] Steve Francis, I’ve coached young guards in this league that maybe weren’t pure points that have to figure it out and use their athleticism and then grow,’’ Boylen said. “To me, that’s where [White’s] at. I love having him on this team and I thought it was a great pick at seven.’’
How great will take years to determine, however.
What doesn’t involve speculation right now is what White has done since having the ball put in his hands rather than playing off of it.
In his first full month in the league, White was a shoot-first, ask-question-later microwave off the bench, averaging 13.1 points and just 1.9 assists per game.
Boylen began getting him more time at the point in December, and knowing the scoring would take a hit, White finished with 9.4 points and 2.4 assists per game. Definite progress in the play-making department with his teammates.
But so far in January, the growth has been stagnant, with White scoring 10.3 points in 15 games, while the assists are back to 2.1 per game and the turnovers staying at 1.5 per game. The second unit has been playing better, but that could also be a product of players understanding their roles better than they did earlier in the season.
Just don’t tell White he might not have the point guard chops moving forward.
“Yeah, for sure,’’ White said about being a starting lead guard sooner than later for the Bulls. “Coming into the league, that’s what I was. I was a lead guard at North Carolina and in high school. It’s what I’ve been most of my life. Of course I want to be that one day. You don’t know your path or which road guys are willing to take you on. I’ll just be waiting and find out where I am in the future.’’
The good news for the Bulls is the evaluation process on White as a point guard still has more than 2 1⁄2 months left.
The way it looks right now, they’ll need every single day of that.
