The Bulls’ 2023 Starting Point Guard Has Just Been Made Clear
The fourth of five preseason games has been deemed by head coach Billy Donovan as the most reputable to regular season action thus far. He aimed to make last night’s contest and the final preseason outing “ramp up” games for the minutes rotation headed into the regular season opener. In the three games that the majority of starters played, the same starting lineup was deployed by Donovan. Meanwhile, Bulls fans anxiously await the answer to the point guard battle, which will largely determine this season’s success. With Lonzo Ball or Patrick Beverley at the helm, Chicago’s flexed a 39-21 standing. Without either of those two true point guards in the lineup, they’ve suffered a 47-57 record. Who has prevailed as the apparent decision to lead the starting group, and will Donovan regret his decision?
Coby White Left Nothing To Debate
Fresh off a contract extension where White made it well known he wanted to be a starting point guard in the NBA, he’s certainly done everything in his power to prove he’s worthy of the spot. Through four preseason games, he’s started all four, averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 assists, and shot over 58% from the field. Turnovers will be something to focus on with the 23-year-old guard, as he’s turned it over ten times in 92 minutes of action. In his lone feature game, where many of his starting counterparts were resting on the bench, White took his preseason-high 11 shots and dropped 20 points on over 50% shooting, including three three-point field goals.
Put quite plainly, White has looked like the most natural scorer and ball-handler, the best transition weapon, and shown the ability to score in bunches, which led to Donovan’s decision. The Bulls’ head coach raved about the fifth-year guard in a recent interview about the point guard position.
Best Scorer Doesn’t Mean Best Fit
The only reason for caution moving forward is the fit alongside the starting group. A year ago, LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic absorbed an average of 50 shot attempts per game, while White has averaged 11 across his career alongside the reserve group. That number will likely drop if he’s playing alongside Chicago’s big three, which decreases his ability to keep the ball in his hands and score as the primary ball-handler. Media and fans alike would have assumed a point guard more similar to Lonzo Ball or Patrick Beverley stepping into the role, especially given the Jevon Carter addition.
Don’t be surprised if the Bulls bench fails to keep pace in the scoring department if White quickly reverts to the sixth-man slot. Carter or Dosunmu’s size, defense, ball security, and ability to play without the ball in their hands would make them prime candidates to rotate into the starting lineup early in the season. White has plenty of experience coming off the bench, having only started 27% of his career appearances; it would be a role he’s very comfortable filling. If he and Williams can feature the bench unit, Chicago would boast a young and dangerous duo in the second unit, as was displayed in Denver on Sunday.
All signs now point to Coby White starting on October 25h in the United Center as the Bulls host the Oklahoma City Thunder in their regular season opener. How long will this experiment last, and do you think Billy Donovan has made the right decision moving forward?