Chicago Bulls: Coby White is starting to look like the guy

Now that the 2019 NBA Draft order is set, we can begin speculation on who the Chicago Bulls will select. Coby White is starting to look like the most likely candidate.

The Chicago Bulls might not get the best player in the 2019 NBA Draft, but if they’re lucky, they could wind up with the best hair in the 2019 NBA Draft. The guy who wears that hair? Coby White.

White spent his one and only collegiate season at the University of North Carolina where he led the Tar Heels to a 29-7 record (16-2 in the ACC). During his freshman season, White averaged 16.1 points per game on 42.3% shooting from the field and 35.3% shooting from behind the arc to go along with 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds.

Most Bulls fans (understandably) had their hopes up for guys like Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Ja Morant and Darius Garland. But after the dust settled on yesterday night’s wild lottery, it’s been made pretty clear that all of those guys are out of the running (with the exception of Darius Garland if Chicago gets super lucky).

If the picks go as follows:

• New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson
• Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant
• New York Knicks: R.J. Barrett 
• Los Angeles Lakers: Jarrett Culver
• Cleveland Cavaliers: De’Andre Hunter 
• Phoenix Suns: Darius Garland

I would assume the Bulls would go with a point guard over someone like Cam Reddish. Coby White is the only point guard that would make sense if both Morant and Garland are off the board, and I’m not too disappointed about that.

Sure, it would be nice to get a point guard like Morant or Garland, but White is by no means a slouch. He has 3-point range that extends well beyond the NBA line, he has elite size, he’s quick, he can finish in traffic, he has solid potential on the defensive end of the court, he has an adequate handle and he’s a capable playmaker that likes to push the ball in transition. Oh, and let’s not forget about his aforementioned hair. It’s wonderful. All of that adds up to someone with a pretty high ceiling in today’s NBA.

White’s low release on his jumper has been a cause for concern among other hoops writers, but I’m not that worried about it. He has a lightning-quick release and can shoot the ball well both off the dribble and off the catch. If his release was slower, I would be more concerned, but he should be able to get his shot off no matter who’s defending him – even if it’s someone with elite length.

The biggest problem with White? He isn’t a traditional pass-first point guard. That’s not a huge deal, though. I mean, guys like Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Jamal Murray are making it work.

Obviously, nobody expects White to be as good as most of the aforementioned players, but he has the potential to reach some of those guys if things go in his favor.

The difference between all of those score-first point guards and Coby White is that White would be joining a team with other ball-dominant scorers. Most of those other guys are the No. 1 option on offense (unless you’re talking about Jamal Murray who basically shares the floor with a 7-foot point guard in Nikola Jokic).

Do the Bulls really want a shoot-first guy playing alongside Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr.? It’s definitely not ideal, but what other options do they have? Plus, it’s not like White is a reluctant passer or a ball hog. Passing just isn’t his best skill. In the right system, he could turn into a solid playmaker. (Whether or not the Bulls have the right system is a different conversation – one that makes me too sad to talk about right now.)

What makes me love White more than any other player that will likely be available at pick No. 7 is his competitive nature. If you’ve watched him in big games, you know he’s not afraid of the moment, and that’s something that holds immeasurable value.

If White ends up being more of a bench scorer than a starting point guard, the Bulls can retool and try again in next year’s point guard heavy draft. It’s not like selecting White means they’ll be stuck with him for a decade.

The bottom line is White has a higher chance of being a successful NBA point guard than anyone else that will likely be available at pick No. 7, and that’s what matters the most.

Here’s to buckets and big-time hair!