Player breakdowns: The Bulls will be Coby White’s team in 2 years

Fairly or unfairly, it has been open season on Jim Boylen since Day 1 of his takeover of the Bulls’ coaching position, at least for some fans.

By the time the coronavirus put the NBA on hiatus almost two weeks ago, some fans had turned into most fans.

Boylen’s missteps haven’t gone unnoticed, and he can’t escape his 39-84 record (.317 winning percentage) since he grabbed Fred Hoiberg’s spot on Dec. 3, 2018.

But maybe, just maybe, disgruntled fans can at least applaud his handling of rookie guard Coby White.

As Boylen did with the team in general when he took over last season, it was about learning how to crawl, then walk, then run.

White, the No. 7 overall pick from North Carolina, was no different, and two weeks ago, he reached the running stage of the process. He was named a starter and had the ball put in his hands from the opening tip . . . for one game.

It was a victory against the Cavaliers, but it was only one game before COVID-19 changed the entire NBA landscape.

“He started off as a guy that was off the ball,’’ Boylen said. ‘‘We gravitated him more to the ball, and now he’s going to be on the ball more with that first group. I think the progression has been good.’’

Good? That’s underselling it.

In a season void of positives, White was just about it.

Sure, he has rookie flaws, and there are still serious questions about his ability to be a lead guard exclusively, but his last 10 games before the shutdown were more than promising. They screamed potential franchise building block.

In 33.8 minutes per game in that span, White averaged 24.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds. He shot 46.8 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three-point range.

This was the same guy who appeared overwhelmed in Summer League, then admittedly hit the rookie wall in December and January. He kept working, however, kept coming to the Advocate Center late at night for extra shots and kept watching film, looking to improve, especially on the defensive end.

He adapted.

Now, whether the season resumes or the Bulls have to wait until 2020-21, the organization has a serious question to weigh: Has White’s emergence changed the focal points of the rebuild? Rather than Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen, should they be LaVine and White? Or, taking it a step further, should they be White and, say, Wendell Carter Jr.?

All fair questions for a franchise in search of answers.

The Situation

Zach LaVine and Coby White are combo guards, capable of falling out of bed and scoring 20 points in an NBA game, but the comparison stops there.

White is a straight-line blur of speed, but he doesn’t have LaVine’s wiggle or athletic ability. He also seems to embrace defensive tasks more than LaVine, but neither is forcing the opposition to lose any sleep defensively.

Could they coexist as a starting backcourt and develop into a threatening duo? Absolutely. That’s why the season shutdown was such a kick in the teeth for the Bulls. It’s a backcourt that’s still a wait-and-see proposition.

The Resolution

If White can continue to develop his court vision and playmaking ability, the Bulls might have a rewrite on their hands for the rebuild. Big “ifs.’’

Bold Prediction

White eventually will allow LaVine to seek greener pastures — at least pastures that include more winning — when LaVine’s contract is up, shifting the focus of the Bulls’ organization to the former Tar Heel.

It will be White’s team in two years.