One glance at the Bulls’ latest depth chart, and right there next to Coby White’s name he’s still listed as the starting point guard.
Key word being “listed.’’
As far as what the position has actually transformed into for coach Billy Donovan? It’s a little bit of White, of course some Zach LaVine, and sprinkled in there more and more some Tomas Satoransky.
Don’t expect that to change anytime soon, either.
That’s why Donovan was asked on Sunday if the White full-time point guard experiment was over or simply in a state of flux to take some responsibility off of White’s plate.
“I don’t know if I’d say I reached that assessment,’’ Donovan said. “I would say that this is kind of [White’s] first year doing this. It’s new. I think I mentioned maybe a couple days ago, he’s done a really good job in terms of being responsible and accountable to wanting to play better and help the team. And I appreciate that from him. But the other part of it too is he also has some strengths. He’s a really good shooter and when he gets a head of steam in transition, if he can get into the teeth of the defense, he does a good job finding guys.’’
It’s that “good shooter,’’ however, that Donovan has been focusing on for White the last two games.
Even in a position-less NBA, Donovan wants responsibilities for his players, and White started out the year as the lead guard. His focus shifted more toward making the right pass, leading to too many possessions of indecision, with White still caught between understanding when to score and when to get his teammates to score.
It’s a trait that’s innate in many point guards, and while White has always played with the ball in his hands through high school and his one year at North Carolina, the end goal was for him to put the ball in the basket in most cases.
The nuance of point guard play has somewhat been lost on him.
So starting in that win over New Orleans on Wednesday, Donovan was having White handle the ball far less than he was, becoming more of that catch-and-shoot two guard that allows him to play with more freedom.
The results so far?
White scored 30 with eight three-pointers in the win over the Pelicans, and followed that up with 17 in the loss to the Clippers.
Meanwhile, Satoransky has led the team in assists the last two games, recording eight in the New Orleans win, and seven against Los Angeles.
“I do think he can play the point guard position,’’ Donovan said of White. “I do think he can improve in that area. And at 20 years old, he’s going to keep getting better. But I’ve tried to maybe find the proper balance or the right balance for him where he is playing some point but he’s also playing to his strengths as well. Some of that, I think for him is finding that balance.’’
Where White needs to improve is first in better understanding how to set up his defender on screens, not only the angle, but being more deceptive in hiding where the screen is coming from. The other area is initiating offense off of missed baskets by the opposition, and getting his teammates organized as they attack the other way.
According to Donovan, White does a good job in that department off of made baskets, but there’s another step he has to climb.
“I don’t want to pass judgement to say, ‘Oh, he can never do that,’ ‘’ Donovan said. “Because I think there are things that can be learned and taught. But right now, trying to get him to play to his strengths but also understand he’s also got some responsibilities for our team as well.’’
