Coby White was the starting point guard in the Bulls’ preseason opener Friday night. He’s just not officially the starting point guard — not yet, coach Billy Donovan reminded everyone before the game.
Maybe White, entering his second season, still needs to chase the carrot a while longer. Or maybe Donovan is still unsure. Either way, expect the uncertainty to drag on through three remaining preseason games.
“As a point guard, it’s not always going to be about how well [White is] playing but how well the group is playing,” Donovan said. “And I think that’s his maturation — that’s the process he has to go through in terms of understanding that he has to be a connector. And it’s not only him — it’s the group that’s out there together. How can they make each other better? How can they function with one another? How can they play off each other? How can they make the game easier for each other? That’s going to be the biggest thing.
“Coby has to be who he is. He is a scoring guard. That’s what he does. And I certainly do not want to take that away from him. I want him to be that way. But he has to start to look at himself as a point guard from the perspective of, ‘OK, if I get 25 [points] but the group isn’t functioning well and guys aren’t really meshing and jelling and there’s not a lot of cohesion there . . .’ He’s going to have to look at those adjustments he can make.”
White seemed to be making those adjustments in September minicamp and through the early parts of training camp this month. But they weren’t so evident early against the Rockets on Friday. After veteran John Wall took White to the hoop to start the game, White played most of his early minutes looking unsure of himself.
He did have two assists in his first seven minutes, but he also went 0-for-3 before the Bulls fell behind by 17 and he was pulled for Tomas Satoransky. He finished with 15 points and six assists in 23 minutes.
The nice thing for White is he still has time to make a statement and cement the starting spot. He seems fine with Donovan’s process and appears to understand the weaknesses in his game and how to fix them.
“Just slowing down,” White said. “I think last year I played at one speed a lot, especially in the half-court. I feel like, for me, it’s just making the simple play, not making it harder than what it needs to be.”
Walking wounded
The Bulls entered Friday without Garrett Temple (coronavirus protocol) and Denzel Valentine (hamstring), then found out after the shootaround that Thad Young was also out because of a lower-leg infection that worsened as the day went on.
Young was scheduled to come off the bench with Otto Porter Jr. starting at the three and Lauri Markkanen at the four. Once he’s healthy, he expects to play a big role no matter how Donovan uses him.
“It never matters about the starting aspect to me,” Young said. “It’s about ‘Can we get wins with the units we’re putting out there on the court?’ ”