Chicago Bulls: 3 bold predictions for Coby White for 2020-21 season

3) Bold predictions for Chicago Bulls’ Coby White

He will lead the team in three-point field goal percentage

Out of the gates, White was a sporadic volume scorer for the Bulls. But he didn’t bring much consistency or efficiency to the table through his first couple dozen games as a rookie.

White did play in all 65 games for the Bulls during the shortened 2019-20 regular season (starting in the final game prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic-induced hiatus in mid-March). And he averaged 13.2 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.1 blocks, and 1.7 turnovers. White shot 39.4 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 79.1 percent from the free-throw line.

The time when White’s game really took off, especially on the offensive end of the floor, was a few weeks after the turn of the calendar year. In 10 games played after the All-Star break, White averaged a whopping 24.7 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. And he shot 46.8 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 89.5 percent from the free-throw line. That was good for a very solid 59.7 true shooting percentage.

If White is anywhere close to the shooting percentages he posted down the stretch last season at the outset of his sophomore campaign in the NBA, he should be among the most efficient shooters on this team. His shooting from downtown really improved as his rookie campaign moved along.

Among Bulls players that played in at least 15 games last season, the leader in three-point shooting percentage was point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, at 39.1 percent. That’s not too improbable for a White that’s in rhythm this season to top, if his teammate’s numbers are similar to last season.