The Chicago Bulls have plenty of questions hanging over them as a team, but also over individual players like Coby White.
White had a breakout season last year for the Bulls, finishing second in the Most Improved Player voting and cementing himself as one of the best values in the entire NBA.
White is on a team-friendly contract that runs for two more seasons at $12 and $12.8 million, great value for a guy who puts up his kind of numbers.
There is no question of whether White is an impactful player, but for him to get to the next level for the Bulls, he has to answer a few questions.
#1: Can Coby White be the leader of the Chicago Bulls?
With DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso gone, Zach LaVine in trade limbo and the rest of the roster populated by young players, it will fall upon White to be the de facto leader of this team.
White appears ready to embrace that role according to a recent interview in the Chicago Sun-Times (subscription) and it will be crucial for the Bulls’ success and development that he does.
White is now the young veteran on this team and if LaVine ends up being traded, undoubtedly its best player, so he will not only have to take a more vocal leadership role but lead by example on the court.
#2: How does Coby White fit with Josh Giddey?
White is not a traditional point guard, more of a lead guard who can make plays but looks to score first.
He had a 22.7 percent usage rating last season, which is expected to go up with DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento.
Newcomer Josh Giddey is more of a quote-unquote point guard who looks to create for teammates first and score second. His usage rating was slightly higher than White’s and that is expected to go up with an increased role in Chicago.
Something may have to give here. Either White needs to show he can be just as effective off the ball, occasionally relegated to a spot-up shooter, or Giddey has to improve his shooting and show he can knock down shots off the gravity White creates.
Unfortunately, neither White nor Giddey were good in catch-and-shoot situations last season, as White shot just 36.5 percent from long range and Giddey just 34.4 percent.
They both need to improve in these situations to maximize the other’s ability to get into the lane and draw defenders. Ideally, White would be closer or over 40 percent on the five catch-and-shoot attempts per game he had last season.
#3: Is Coby White a star or just a good player?
At the very least, Coby White is a nice complementary player who can probably be the 3rd or 4th best guy on a good playoff team.
But is there more?
Can he improve his efficiency while taking more attempts per game? Can he improve overall as a 3-point shooter but especially in catch-and-shoot situations?
Can he be more than a pesky defender?
Thus far in his career, White has been a complementary player, but now he’ll be the first option, especially if the Bulls end up trading Zach LaVine.
I’m sure White wants to prove he can be a star and get paid like one on his next deal, so he has plenty of motivation to answer all of these questions next season.
