It's plain to see that Chicago Bulls guard Coby White is on an upward trajectory entering the 2024-25 NBA season.
The 24-year-old finished second in last year's Most Improved Player voting after averaging 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 45/38/84 shooting splits.
After Zach LaVine went down 25 games into the season, White became the Bulls' No. 1 offensive option, but his efficiency rose along with his shot attempts, and he finished the year with a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
He may be flying under the radar now, but if the former North Carolina standout continues at this pace, he could end the upcoming season as one of the best combo guards in the league.
Still, even after his breakout season, those outside Chicago have yet to recognize how good White is right now, let alone how good he could become.
That fact is reflected in an "NBA Elite 100" list compiled by the Action Network, where Matt Moore and Brandon Anderson have White ranked far too low at No. 85 - and, ludicrously, behind these three players with no business being listed ahead of him.
Chris Paul (No. 82)
Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. He should do wonders for Victor Wembanyama's development with the San Antonio Spurs this season.
But at this stage of his career, he's miles away from being a better player than White.
Paul is 39 years old and entering his 20th season. He's missed 23 and 24 games, respectively, the last two seasons.
He played a bit part coming off the bench for the Golden State Warriors last year, starting only 18 of the 58 games he appeared in. He averaged single digits in scoring for the first time in his career (9.6) and fewer than 30 minutes for the first time (26.4).
White will likely never reach Paul's status as one of the best guards ever to play, but in 2024-25, he's a much better player and deserves to be ranked far, far higher than Wemby's new running mate.
Immanuel Quickley (No. 80)
Quickley is on a similar trajectory as White, a young combo guard who flashed last season.
He landed with the Toronto Raptors as part of the OG Anunoby trade, and during his 38 games north of the border, he averaged career highs in points, rebounds and assists and shot 39.5 percent from three on 7.1 attempts per game.
He was rewarded with a five-year, $175 million deal and is now locked in as one of Toronto's franchise building blocks.
What he doesn't have, however, are the established track record or upside that White does.
While Quickley showed what he's capable of for half a season, the Bulls' young guard carried Chicago offensively. Quickley won't have to do that with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett in Toronto.
It will be interesting to compare the seasons these two have, but White should lie above Quickley in this year's rankings and could vault ahead of him by 2025-26.
Jonathan Kuminga (No. 75)
There are several players in the 65 to 80 range that White should be ranked higher than. Jonathan Isaac, Devin Vassell and Mike Conley are all examples. But the comparison with Kuminga is intriguing.
Golden State's young forward is already seeking a max rookie extension from the Warriors, who are rightly in no hurry to give it to him.
The 21-year-old has started 74 games across his three NBA seasons and just averaged double digits in scoring for the first time last year.
Kuminga is big, strong, explosive and athletic. What he hasn't shown, at least to this point in his career, is the skill level needed to translate those physical traits into on-court production.
White has more upside to reach, just as Kuminga does. Physically, he's not in the same conversation as Kuminga; skill-wise, he's miles ahead.
This is why rankings like these are tricky. The potential of what a player may be can creep into the conversation, consciously or not.
If Kuminga reaches his ceiling? Yes, he'll be a better player than White. But so far, he's proven incapable of reaching that ceiling.
White is simply a much better player going into 2024-25.
Honorable mention: Zach LaVine
LaVine is ranked nine spots ahead of White. If the 29-year-old is fully healthy and cooking on offense, he's a better scorer than his 24-year-old teammate.
The issue lately is that he hasn't been fully healthy, which makes for an interesting case study.
Is LaVine a better player going into this season? Does White's ability to play as a true point guard at times outweigh LaVine's scoring? Or is the 24-year-old just better and ready to lead the Bulls' offense right now?