Bulls have decided it’s time for Coby White to be a point guard

Call it the next phase in Coby White’s NBA education: The part where the rookie actually starts playing some point guard.

“As you guys know, we’re taking this very methodically with Coby,’’ coach Jim Boylen said before the Bulls’ 93-92 loss to the Raptors on Monday night. “Earlier in the year, I didn’t give him a whole bunch of titles, or he’s going to be this or be that. He’s going to come out and play basketball, and I think he’s done that pretty well for the first 23, 24 games.

“With our adjustment to the starting lineup, where our primary ball-handler in the second group [Kris Dunn] went to the first group, we adjusted in the second group where I think [White] needs to take more of a lead-guard, dominant, ball-handling role. I think it’s a good time for it. I think it fits. He’s ready for it.”

Considering the Bulls drafted White No. 7 overall out of North Carolina in June with the idea that he was a point guard, “a good time for it’’ sounds about right.

White took on point guard duties during Summer League play, but his performance was a mixed bag, with his decision-making and ability to see the entire floor both in question.

However, according to Boylen, White had been showing improvement in practice lately, so the Bulls let him loose in Miami on Sunday. In his 32 minutes against the Heat — though not all in the lead guard role — White finished with eight assists and three turnovers. Against the Raptors, he had five assists and eight rebounds — and no points — in 30 minutes.

“I think he’s played enough NBA games now to at least understand how the game works, what’s important, and I thought he did a good job [in Miami],” Boylen said. “I thought he made good plays. So I’m excited for him. His speed is an asset, and if we can get some shooting around him in that second unit, I think it will be a good unit for us again.”

White’s emergence as a point guard would be bigger than just helping out the second unit, however. If he proves he can do it at a high level as the year goes on, it would fill a huge hole for the Bulls moving forward.

Tomas Satoransky has been a solid addition, but he’s a combo guard forced into starting guard duties, and Dunn is also better as a defensive irritant off the bench.

White could be the scoring point guard that the Bulls need.

There’s only one way to find out.

“From the start, I didn’t put that [pressure] on him,’’ Boylen said of his decision to wait. “I’ve seen that situation go bad, so we’ll work our way through those times — decision-making and opportunities for him to score, but also opportunities for him to create. We’d like to play fast in that second group. Overall, we’d like to, but in that second group, and we’ll keep working at it.

“What I talk about [with White] is reading the coverage. A quarterback knows where his guys are. What he’s doing is reading the coverage. A point guard should have an understanding of where our guys are, and that’s why spacing is so important. You read the coverage and make the appropriate play.”

No contact yet

The hope is to have forward Chandler Hutchison taking contact in practice sooner rather than later. Until he does, it’s hard to say how long it’ll be before he can return from a bruised right shoulder suffered last week.

“When he gets a contact practice, we’ll let you know how much closer he is,” Boylen said. “But he’s not ready for a contact practice yet.”