White is the overwhelming favorite to win the award.

“Yes, I think a lot of guys deserve it,” White said. “There are a lot of guys playing well this year. It would mean a lot if I would get that award—just to show the work. And I always say, it would set a standard for other young guys in the league who maybe wasn’t looked at as a power right away. Like, ‘Aw, he was the seventh pick’ and not written off so much but looked at as, ‘He can’t make that leap.’ A lot of people say the leap comes from your second to third year. Mine came from my fourth to fifth year. There’s always still time. I’m only 24. Just continue to trust that work.”

White is averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season for the Bulls while shooting 44.4% from the field, 38.1% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line.

The UNC product averaged only 9.7 points last season.

I’m comfortable,” White said. “I’m growing. I was talking to AC (Alex Caruso) last game. I was telling him: I found my voice last year. OK, cool. The challenge this year is with the importance I have on the team, with the role that I have, with the amount of minutes I play, how can I continue to lead on a consistent basis? In the course of a game, emotions are high. A lot of variables go into each game. You’re human. You’re obviously aware of how you’re playing in any given game. And that’s what I was talking to AC about and he said being consistent with your voice no matter how it’s going for you was one of the hardest things he had to learn.”

The Bulls drafted White with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They have finally found their franchise point guard in the post-Derrick Rose era.