WHITE’S DROP IN SCORING: NO WORRIES
Bulls rookie guard Coby White expected his scoring to suffer over the last week. The way he looked at it, there had to be a step back in one aspect of his game if he was to take two steps forward in another.
And that’s exactly what has happened — his scoring taking a dip, his assists increasing in general — since he took on a lead guard role with the second unit last weekend in Miami, a switch from the off-guard spot he had been playing. White finished with three points and three assists in Friday night’s loss to the Hornets.
Coach Jim Boylen sees the tradeoff as the latest step in White’s NBA education.
“I think he’s doing great,” Boylen said before the game. “What I look at is his practice habits, the film we watch, his receptiveness to learning how to play a decision-making position in our league. I think he’s been great. He’s 19 years old, he’s played 27 NBA games, and 30 to 35 Division I [college] games, so he’s learning, he’s growing. Think about his kind of transformation from the Summer League to where he’s at now, to where he was in November to where he’s at now — to what he’s trying to do. I think he’s doing a heck of a job.”
The game against the Hornets was White’s fourth since the role transition. He averaged 5.3 assists per game in the previous three games, but his scoring has been erratic, including an 0-for-7 scoreless performance in a loss to the Raptors on Monday.
It’s not just his decision-making that is being coached up. White is one of the fastest players on the court most nights, but it’s mostly direct speed to the basket, as opposed to side-to-side — as scouts pointed out before the draft. There’s not a lot of wiggle to his game, especially for a player the Bulls hope will be an everyday point guard. Boylen acknowledged that.
“It’s a growth plate for him,” Boylen said. “I worked for [former Michigan State coach] Jud Heathcote for a long time, and [his philosophy] was it’s not how fast you are — it’s how fast you can change speeds, how fast you can stop. Jud used to talk about Magic [Johnson], and he used to say Magic was the fastest guy to his full speed in one dribble. That was his gift. He can get to full speed in one push-out.
“We love [White’s] speed, knowing when to change speeds, and those are the kinds of things we’re talking about and we’re helping him with. He’s learning on the fly, he’s a big part of our rotation, and it’s all good. It’s about just understanding how the NBA game is played, where your opportunities are. Some of it is footwork . . . learn how to play square to the rim. There’s a lot to playing that position. We’re not overwhelming him.”
White is all for keeping it simple.
“I like it because that’s the position I’ve been playing all of my life,” he said. “But I’m just out there hoopin’ at the end of the day, whether it’s on the ball or off the ball.”
GETTING THEIR WORK IN
Center Cristiano Felicio (right wrist) and forward Chandler Hutchison (right shoulder) practiced with the G-League Windy City Bulls on Friday in anticipation of playing Saturday with the Bulls against the Clippers in the second game of a back-to-back. ✶