LAS VEGAS -- During the second quarter of Wednesday's NBA summer league matchup with the Charlotte Hornets, I observed to the person next to me that Chicago Bulls rookie Coby White would probably shoot 4-of-13 from the field but all anyone would remember were the four makes. I was wrong; he actually finished Wednesday's game 4-of-17 shooting. But that dichotomy summarizes a week in Las Vegas during which White has impressed without scoring particularly efficiently.
A series of minor injuries and the effect of trades that could not be completed until after the NBA's moratorium period ended on Saturday have left White as one of the highest-drafted rookies in regular action this summer. No. 3 pick RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks is the only player taken before White (No. 7) to play in more than one game so far, while White has played all four of the Bulls' games.
What has White shown, positive and negative? Let's break down his performance, putting a spotlight on Wednesday's game.
Volume scoring from White
Entering Wednesday's contest, during which he finished with just 11 points, White was tied for 12th in scoring among players who had played at least two games in Las Vegas at 19.0 points per game. However, efficiency has been a shortcoming of his performance all week. White has shot just 3-of-26 (11.5%) from 3-point range and has needed 70 shots to score 68 points.
During his lone season at North Carolina, White shot a respectable 35% on 3s and 80% from the foul line, so it's likely that his inaccurate long-range shooting is a product of the transition to the longer NBA 3-point line. White's release is a little lower than is ideal, leading to line-drive jumpers that have frequently been off the front rim. With work to hone his form and add strength, White should be able to get those shots over the rim.
It's somewhat more concerning that White has attempted so many jumpers off the dribble. While the pull-up 3-pointer is increasingly important in the modern NBA, that's in the context of creating room to drive by forcing defenders to play up. White hasn't been able to blow by his defender one-on-one on a regular basis.
When he has gotten to the rim, often in transition, White's finishing has been up and down. He made a great move in the secondary break on Wednesday to get in the paint, only to miss there against fellow former Tar Heel Kennedy Meeks. White also has his shot blocked by Elijah Thomas. White, who is shooting 50% overall on 2-point attempts in Las Vegas, also has struggled to score in the in-between game.
White has shown playmaking
So far this summer, White's distribution has been ahead of his shooting. He handed out five assists on Wednesday, tying his Las Vegas high, and he has averaged four per game. White has shown a willingness to throw lob passes, leading to turnovers at times (he has had 16 in four games, matching his assist total, though he logged just one Wednesday) but also to an alley-oop for Chandler Hutchison in transition during the second quarter.
White's court vision has been on display more regularly in the open court. In pick-and-roll settings, he still is working to balance the primary two options as a distributor. In his debut on Friday, White was looking primarily for the screen setter diving on the pick-and-roll. Since then, he has been more comfortable kicking the ball out to shooters when he drives off a ball screen. With time and experience, White will balance those two options -- as well as look for his own offense off the pick-and-roll.
Defensively, White hasn't really stood out either good or bad. He moves his feet defending the ball and works to elude screens. As an off-ball defender, White is alert though not especially active. He is willing to mix it up in the paint and is averaging 4.8 defensive boards per game, including six on Wednesday.
Bulls can bring White along slowly
None of White's issues with efficiency is surprising or permanent. Young guards often have a tough time initially scoring over bigger defenders and adjusting to the NBA 3-point line. That's one key reason one-and-done point guards have been so ineffective as rookies, but also why players at the position tend to develop later than more NBA-ready big men and wings.
From that standpoint, it's encouraging that Chicago plans to bring White along slowly. The Bulls also added veteran guard Tomas Satoransky via sign-and-trade this summer to a rotation that already includes incumbent starter Kris Dunn. (During Wednesday's broadcast, Chicago coach Jim Boylen said his "first five" is set with Dunn at point guard.)
Because Dunn is entering the last year of his rookie contract and Satoransky can play either guard spot, White will have the opportunity to play more minutes if he proves more ready to contribute than expected. But the Bulls won't need to rush him into a starting role.