It's happening.
Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Coby White will make his first NBA start.
White will replace Tomas Satoransky in the Bulls’ starting lineup. Satoransky and White are the only two Bulls to appear in all 64 games this season, but Satoransky had started all 64 to this point.
“I think he’s earned it,” coach Jim Boylen said of White.
You can say that again. Since the All-Star break, White is averaging 25.2 points (tied with Zion Williamson for first amongst rookies) and 4.2 assists on 47.4/41.8/90.9 shooting splits in 33.2 minutes per game. He’s scored 20-plus points in seven of his last eight and is a week removed from taking home Eastern Conference rookie of the month honors from February.
“I've been playing pretty well,” White said. “So just gotta continue to do that and continue to play hard.”
White’s opportunity has increased and the ball is going through the hoop, but what should really be opening eyes as it relates to his development are his on- and off-ball defensive improvements and advanced decision-making chops. White is fresh off an eight-assist game against Brooklyn, and tallied six each in the Bulls’ two games prior. He committed two total turnovers in those three games.
NBA
“I think the biggest thing is this is the next stage in his development. He’s earned this opportunity. He’s grown into this opportunity,” Boylen said. “We’ll take it a game at a time and we’ll coach him the same way we’ve been coaching him. I’m excited for him.”
Now, he’ll ride all that momentum into the Bulls’ top unit. White said he and Boylen hadn’t directly discussed the possibility of starting until today, and, when asked, Boylen denied that pressure from Bulls’ top brass played any part in the decision.
“We didn’t have that type of conversation (about White starting). This is something that I think has been building,” Boylen said of his communication with management.
Regardless of how the decision came to fruition, Bulls fans can now begin to salivate at the prospect of a starting backcourt tandem of White and Zach LaVine. Unfortunately, LaVine’s strained left quad will keep him out against Cleveland — his fifth consecutive missed contest — though Boylen said he’s “progressing” towards a return.
So for now, all eyes will be on White and how he fares in this next chapter of his rookie season. According to him and Boylen, the adjustment is as simple as continuing to be himself.
“The biggest responsibility, I think, is to keep doing the things he’s doing. You don’t become the starter and reinvent the way you play,” Boylen said. “He’s played starter’s minutes. He’s played against starters in the minutes he plays. So this is not a thing where we had this expectation for him to change who he is or what he’s doing. Continue to grow with your competitiveness at the defensive end of the floor, honoring your assignments, grow with your decisions within our offense and continue to be aggressive like who you are.”
“It means a lot, I'm excited and whatnot,” White said. “But like I said, just gonna approach it the same way.”
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