Chicago Bulls: Can Coby White breakthrough if Luka is absent?

Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White is off to a very slow start this season, but could get going on Jan. 3 if Luka is absent for the Mavericks.

On the night of Jan. 3, the Chicago Bulls and first-year head coach Billy Donovan will get set to take on the Dallas Mavericks in their first matchup against a Western Conference foe this season. The Bulls will return home to the United Center for the first time in the 2021 calendar year to take on superstar point guard and the reigning All-NBA First-Team selection Luka Doncic and the Mavs on Jan. 3.

This will be the seventh game of the 2020-21 regular season slate for the Bulls. They had a two-game winning streak snapped on Jan. 1, when they fell short to their divisional foe Milwaukee Bucks on the road by a 30-point margin. But Donovan was missing a good portion of his rotation due to breaches of the league’s health and safety protocols, in the loss to the Bucks on New Years Day.

Moreover, the Bulls will enter this game with a record of 2-4. They will have a chance to get a nice win over a good Mavericks team. But the Mavs could be shorthanded in this game, with Doncic reportedly questionable with a left quad contusion.

Could this also be the opportunity that the likes of second-year point guard Coby White and shooting guard Zach LaVine need to get going in the right direction on a consistent basis?

LaVine had various spurts where he was brilliant for the Bulls, especially in their two-game winning streak formed back on Dec. 29 and 31 on the road against the Washington Wizards. But the total body of work on the season so far for LaVine isn’t very efficient.

White definitely didn’t get off to a productive and/or efficient start to this regular season slate for the Bulls. While White is leading the Bulls so far this season, averaging 32.8 minutes per game, he hasn’t made the most of this opportunity as of yet. He’s also started in all six games he’s played in so far this season for the Bulls.

Thus far, White averaged 14.5 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.2 blocks, and a whopping 3.2 turnovers. He’s shot 34.9 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line.

White does really need to get going for him to be an effective part of this starting five. He assumed the starting point guard role over Tomas Satoransky very late last season, but might see that role reduced in the near future if he can’t find his rhythm.

And if the Bulls are in fact facing a Mavs team that is without both Kristaps Porzingis and Doncic, it shouldn’t be too tall of a task for White to get his energy going on the offensive end. He wouldn’t have to worry so much about staying out of foul trouble and keeping pace with Luka on the defensive end.

The Bulls and Mavs are set to tip off at 7 p.m. CT at the United Center on Jan. 3. The Mavs come into this game with a record of 2-3 following their home win back on Jan. 1 over the defending Eastern Conference champs Miami Heat.