Chicago Bulls: Coby White viewed by new management as ‘scoring guard’

To-be second-year former UNC point guard Coby White still appears to have a role that is up in the air with the Chicago Bulls heading into next season.

Once again a frequent topic of discussion in the Chicago Bulls camp this offseason is what to do about the future of the point guard position. The good news for the Bulls is that they look to have a more capable front office regime and building coaching staff in place to piece the point guard puzzle together.

And the group of capable point guards that the Bulls have on the current roster heading into the thick of the 2020 offseason appears to be much better than it was in the last couple of years. The Bulls have key players like Coby White, Tomas Satoransky, Ryan Arcidiacono, Kris Dunn, Shaquille Harrison, etc., that can all serve in various roles in the rotation playing at the one.

But with Dunn and Harrison set to hit the free agent market this offseason, some of that depth in the backcourt rotation could be lost. Where does the front office plan to address any depth needs at the one, and what do they plan to do with the remaining pieces left on the roster at the position?

According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls do feel like White could be a capable option as the starting point guard. But the new front office also views White as more of a “scoring guard” than anything else.

Here’s more on what this piece from NBC Sports Chicago had to say on the subject.

"Expect the new management regime to try to fix this. In fact, while much of Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley’s future plans remain unknown, getting this position right would open a window into how they view some pieces on the roster.It would suggest they view White more as a scoring guard than a facilitator. It would suggest the next two years could become a choice between White and Zach LaVine. It would suggest Dunn’s long-term future isn’t in Chicago."

How this piece paints the picture of the future of the Bulls backcourt rotation would make one think that the front office only feels like shooting guard Zach LaVine or White will be the future. Not both of them.

It also sounds like the way the front office is talking that White holds a really important role for the long haul for the future of this rebuild. The role that LaVine will hold heading into the early portion of the era under Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley was not a hot topic of discussion so far this offseason.

And here’s more on what this NBC Sports Chicago article had to say about the specific role that the front office has planned for White in the near future.

"White was billed as a point guard when the previous managerial regime drafted him with the seventh pick in June 2019. And his decision-making and distribution skills improved as his rookie season progressed. He can certainly play some minutes at the position next season if needed.However, given the amount of leaguewide talk that the Bulls are focused on solving point guard, it’s sounding like the new regime ultimately views him as more of a scoring guard."

White did not post a lot of the stats that you would expect out of a traditional point guard during his rookie season, or during his one season with head coach Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball program. During his rookie campaign in the shortened 2019-20 regular season with the Bulls, White played in all 65 games (starting in just one of them).

And he averaged 13.2 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks. White shot 39.4 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 79.1 percent from the free-throw line. As a result, White garnered 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie Second-Team honors in what was a loaded rookie class in the backcourt.

The Bulls do have the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery to help the new front office regime figure out what the next direction could be for the rebuild at the point guard position. If the likes of point guard LaMelo Ball and/or shooting guard Anthony Edwards fell to them in the four spot, then it could have a big impact on how the front office builds out the backcourt for the future.