Coby White vs. Zach LaVine
This is more a battle for role than minutes, as both of these players are likely to start and play a lot if they are healthy.
LaVine is going to get his chances, if for no other reason than to raise his trade value for an eventual move. Until he shows he can play at a high level, the Bulls won’t be able to trade him, so they have to get LaVine his minutes and shots.
But will Coby White emerge as the team’s go-to scorer? He has more of a long-term future with the Bulls and made progress towards that role last season. With DeMar DeRozan gone, the primary scoring option is open and likely to be filled by White or LaVine.
Is this Coby White’s team? Will LaVine accept a more complementary role off the ball as a high-volume 3-point shooter? And how does Josh Giddey (another high usage player) fit into all of this?
It would be nice to see White grasp the opportunity here and for LaVine to re-invent himself as an off-the-ball high-volume 3-point shooter, but we could see a lot of back and forth with no real alpha-dog emerging.
There are a lot of moving parts when you consider the Bulls’ desire to trade LaVine and Vucevic and these positional battles will help define that timeline.